Burnley 0, Liverpool 3 - Match Recap: Reds Complete Perfect August
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Two goals in five minutes against Burnley ensure that Liverpool leave Turf Moor with all three points.
Burnley 0 - 3 Liverpool
Liverpool: Wood (OG) 32’, Mané 36’, Firmino 79’
Pre-Match
Klopp chooses an unchanged starting XI from the one that beat Arsenal at Anfield. After Manchester City beat Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool will need a victory to end August in first place.
First Half
It’s a very open game in the first five minutes, with huge chances on both sides of the pitch. Adrian is forced into an excellent, diving save thanks to the linesperson refusing to call offside. This one leads to a corner that goes harmlessly out of play.
On the other end, Mané gets free and sets up Salah, who tries to shoot into the near corner but hits the post instead.
Burnley looks a more formidable opponent than Arsenal last week. They are clearly more eager to attack and put the Reds defense under pressure. So far Liverpool have been up to the challenge.
20 minutes in, Salah is nearly in on goal after a gorgeous run of play and an excellent little flick from Henderson that finds the Egyptian in the box. Pope makes the save, and Salah isn’t able to control the resulting ricochet, sending it off of his thigh just wide of the goal.
Alexander-Arnold does well in the 27th minute to defend against a perfect cross in Liverpool’s box, kicking it out of play and preventing a goal scoring opportunity.
GOAL!!!! 32’ - Alexander-Arnold makes maybe the best mistake of his life as he attempts a cross to Salah from 30 yards out that badly misses the mark and ends up sinking into the top far corner instead. The replay shows that the goal took a deflection off of Chris Wood, but shhh.
GOAL!!!! 36’ - Ben Mee gives the ball straight to Firmino in the center of the pitch, which is never a good idea. Bobby speeds down the pitch with Mané and Salah on either side of him. Firmino rolls it to Mané on his left, and he slots it cleanly into the bottom right corner.
The half ends like that, with Liverpool taking a two goal lead into the locker room after a strong half and a devastating five minutes that saw them put two past Burnley.
Second Half
Burnley have started to embrace their true colors in the second half, and the fouls have come in thick and heavy as we approach the hour mark at Turf Moor. Tarkowski fouls Fabinho on the edge of the box, which gives Alexander-Arnold a chance for a free kick. He sends it out to Salah, whose shot is neatly kept out by the wall.
Salah and Firmino are desperate to score here, both attempting to wriggle free and find Liverpool’s third. Salah has been close several times in this game, but hasn’t managed to convert any of his chances.
Henderson gets knocked about from a challenge in the 66th minute. He tries to run it off and play on, but he’s replaced by Oxlade-Chamberlain a few minutes later.
The UEFA Player of the Year has a go at 45 yards out, but it sails up and over the net.
GOAL!!! 79’ - Firmino gets his goal off of a fast break of his own making. In his own half, he passes it to Salah and continues his run. Salah slides through the Burnley defense but pulls up when he sees Firmino barrelling forward. It’s the right decision, as Firmino sends it home. This goal makes Firmino the first Brazilian to score 50 goals in the Premier League.
There’s a disagreement between Mané and Salah when Salah tries to engineer a goal on his own instead of passing it to an open Mané. Mané gets subbed off at that moment for Origi and makes his frustration known on the bench.
It takes until the 88th minute, but Adrian has a bauble that nearly puts a Burnley player through, but the keeper does what he needs to and blocks his shot.
Final Thoughts
12 points, their first clean sheet and three good goals, top of the league. All in all, an excellent way to end August and head into the September international break. That’s 13 straight wins in the Premier League for Liverpool. On we go.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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