Liverpool signalled their title ambitions by going top of the Premier League thanks to a hard-fought victory at relegation-threatened Burnley.
Jurgen Klopp’s team, having suffered only one defeat this season, seized a two-point lead over Arsenal at the Premier League summit despite some missed opportunities in front of goal.
The Reds initiated a perfect start, finding the net after just six minutes as Darwin Nunez executed a beautiful finish from the edge of the box, ending a 12-game goal drought for the club.
The Burnley goal faced relentless pressure, with James Trafford making impressive saves, including denying Mohamed Salah with a stunning fingertip stop, and smothering Harvey Elliott’s low drive.
The Reds continued their onslaught, with Cody Gakpo having a goal disallowed for Nunez’s foul on Charlie Taylor, and Salah striking the crossbar, all transpiring before halftime. Although Elliott’s effort was ruled out for Salah’s offside position, the visitors eventually secured their second goal in the final minute through Diogo Jota’s powerful strike.
Meanwhile, Burnley was unable to force Alisson into making a single save and finds themselves in a precarious position in the relegation zone, now trailing safety by a significant five-point margin.
Aston Villa could draw level on points with Liverpool if they secure a victory against Manchester United later on Tuesday (20:00 GMT kick-off), while Arsenal has the opportunity to reclaim the top spot with a successful outcome against West Ham on Thursday.
Reds show resilience for top spot
Liverpool holds the top position as the year draws to a close, yet what seemed like a straightforward path to victory turned into a hard-fought triumph.
Under Klopp’s leadership, the team registered a total of 19 shots, forcing Trafford into making eight saves, hitting the woodwork once, and encountering two disallowed goals.
Despite facing challenges, Liverpool has displayed remarkable resilience this season. Nunez’s early goal, marking his eighth of the season, and Jota’s well-executed finish in the late stages secured the crucial three points.
While the Reds could have dominated the first half, Trafford’s string of saves, including denying low efforts from Wataru Endo and Salah, kept the scoreline within reach for the opposition.
Salah, with 12 league goals this season, narrowly missed increasing his tally, hitting the top of the bar when through on goal. Additionally, he was ruled offside after referee Paul Tierney consulted the pitchside monitor following Elliott’s first-time finish.
Liverpool may also feel aggrieved that VAR did not allow Gakpo’s thunderous effort to stand in the first half, but it did not matter in a contest they dominated from start to finish.
They have won their last seven games on 26 December and also continued their excellent form on the road, now scoring in their last 14 successive away games.
Trafford keeps it to single digits
Despite winning the Championship last season with an impressive 101 points, Burnley has struggled to find success in the Premier League and now faces the looming prospect of an immediate return to the second tier.
Both Luton and Nottingham Forest secured victories earlier on Tuesday, adding urgency to Burnley’s challenging task against Liverpool. However, the truth is they posed little threat to their opponents.
This marks Burnley’s ninth defeat in 10 league games at Turf Moor this season, and despite putting up a fight throughout the match, they failed to register a shot on target. Johann Berg Gudmundsson had an opportunity to level the scores with a free header in the second half, but he sent it over the bar. Sander Berge also dragged a shot wide, leaving Burnley with only three wins at the midway point of the season.