Match ends, Burnley 0, Liverpool 2.
![Liverpool celebrate](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/624/cpsprodpb/2746/production/_132145001_liverpool-main.jpg)
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 side have only been beaten once so far this season and went two points clear of Arsenal at the summit despite some wastefulness in front of goal.
The Reds got the perfect start by netting after just six minutes as Darwin Nunez guided in a lovely finish from the edge of the box to end a run of 12 club games without a goal.
The impressive James Trafford was kept busy in the Burnley goal and had already smothered Harvey Elliott’s low drive before making a stunning fingertip stop to deny Mohamed Salah.
The wave of attacks from the Reds was unrelenting and Cody Gakpo had a goal disallowed for Nunez’s foul on Charlie Taylor, while Salah rattled the crossbar – all before half-time.
Elliott also had an effort chalked off for Salah interfering with play in a offside position, but the visitors did finally get their second when Diogo Jota smacked home in the final minute.
Burnley, meanwhile, failed to work Alisson into a single save and are in deep trouble in the bottom three, now fives points adrift of safety.
Aston Villa will go level on points with Liverpool if they beat Manchester United later on Tuesday (20:00 GMT kick-off), while Arsenal can regain top spot with success over West Ham on Thursday.
Reds show resilience for top spot
Liverpool are top of the pile approaching the end of the year, but what should have been a canter to victory turned out to be a triumph that had to be grinded out.
Klopp’s men had a total of 19 shots and worked Trafford into eight saves, hitting the woodwork once and having two goals disallowed.
But they have shown a formidable resilience so far this term and Nunez’s early strike with his eighth goal of the season and Jota’s well-taken finish late on secured maximum points.
The Reds should have been out of sight in the first half but Trafford made a string of saves, including to keep out low efforts from Wataru Endo and Salah.
The Egypt international came inches away from adding to his 12 league goals this term but smashed the top of the bar when through on goal, and was also judged to be offside after referee Paul Tierney consulted the pitchside monitor after 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
Burnley won the Championship last season with 101 points but have had little joy in the Premier League and are staring at an immediate return to the second tier.
Above them, Luton and Nottingham Forest both won earlier on Tuesday, making Burnley’s daunting task against Liverpool even more important – but in truth they did not lay a glove on their opponents.
This was their ninth loss in 10 league games at Turf Moor this season, and although they battled for much of the encounter they were unable to get a shot on target.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson might have levelled the scores when he sent his free header over the bar in the second half and Sander Berge also dragged a shot wide to leave their side with only three wins at the halfway stage of the season.
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Player of the match
Diogo JotaDiogo Jota
Burnley
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Squad number1Player nameTrafford
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Squad number47Player nameOdobert
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Squad number8Player nameBrownhill
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Squad number22Player nameVitinho
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Squad number2Player nameO’Shea
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Squad number5Player nameBeyer
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Squad number16Player nameBerge
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Squad number3Player nameTaylor
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Squad number25Player nameAmdouni
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Squad number17Player nameFoster
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Squad number31Player nameTrésor
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Squad number7Player nameGudmundsson
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Squad number34Player nameBruun Larsen
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Squad number15Player nameRedmond
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Squad number21Player nameA Ramsey
Line-ups
Burnley
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Trafford
- 22da Silva
- 2O’SheaBooked at 90mins
- 5Beyer
- 3Taylor
- 47Odobert
- 16BergeBooked at 22mins
- 8BrownhillSubstituted forA Ramseyat 90+2′minutes
- 31TrésorSubstituted forGudmundssonat 61′minutes
- 17FosterSubstituted forRedmondat 85′minutes
- 25AmdouniSubstituted forBruun Larsenat 85′minutes
Substitutes
- 7Gudmundsson
- 9Rodríguez
- 14Roberts
- 15Redmond
- 21A Ramsey
- 24Cullen
- 34Bruun Larsen
- 44Delcroix
- 49Muric
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 66Alexander-ArnoldBooked at 77mins
- 78Quansah
- 4van Dijk
- 2Gomez
- 19ElliottSubstituted forDíazat 67′minutes
- 3Endo
- 38GravenberchSubstituted forJonesat 66′minutes
- 11Salah
- 18GakpoSubstituted forSzoboszlaiat 67′minutes
- 9NúñezSubstituted forJotaat 84′minutes
Substitutes
- 5Konaté
- 7Díaz
- 8Szoboszlai
- 17Jones
- 20Jota
- 44Chambers
- 53McConnell
- 62Kelleher
- 84Bradley
- Referee:
- Paul Tierney
- Attendance:
- 21,624
Live Text
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Second Half ends, Burnley 0, Liverpool 2.
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Foul by Diogo Jota (Liverpool).
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Charlie Taylor (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Sander Berge (Burnley) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Charlie Taylor with a cross.
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Foul by Curtis Jones (Liverpool).
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Jordan Beyer (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Substitution, Burnley. Aaron Ramsey replaces Josh Brownhill.
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Dara O’Shea (Burnley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Goal! Burnley 0, Liverpool 2. Diogo Jota (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Luis Díaz.
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Attempt missed. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Josh Brownhill.
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Attempt saved. Luis Díaz (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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Attempt missed. Jacob Bruun Larsen (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
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Attempt missed. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Wataru Endo with a headed pass.
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Substitution, Burnley. Nathan Redmond replaces Lyle Foster.
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Substitution, Burnley. Jacob Bruun Larsen replaces Zeki Amdouni.
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Substitution, Liverpool. Diogo Jota replaces Darwin Núñez.
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Attempt missed. Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Wataru Endo.
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Attempt missed. Wilson Odobert (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Sander Berge.
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