Premier League: Liverpool Needs a Spark to Beat Burnley

Liverpool vs Burnley

With the two Manchester clubs in impressive form, it’s all gone a little quiet in the red half of Liverpool, as Jurgen Klopp’s champions have slipped to fourth place in the Premier League.

United and City are in first and second, and while there isn’t much in it, Liverpool are just three points behind the top spot, there are six, possibly seven teams with eyes on the main prize. The champions are suffering something of a post-Christmas hangover and when you’re struggling for goals Burnley isn’t the ideal opponent. The Clarets had recovered from a poor start to the campaign but back-to-back defeats have left them just four points above the drop zone.

Liverpool need a win, any win, but they will need to be on song to beat one of the most hard-working sides in football. The Premier League 2021 betting odds are already leaning heavily towards Manchester City and the Reds can’t afford too many more slip-ups.

Talking Points

Can Liverpool afford to leave Henderson in defence?

Liverpool’s goalless draw with Manchester United last Sunday was the third league match in succession the Reds had failed to score, and with a front three of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino that takes some believing. Against the Red Devils, Firmino missed a hatful of chances, but you’d expect the goals to return sooner rather than later. Another blank for the Reds would be the big Premier League 2020 news of the week.

Jurgen Klopp has problems further back though.

The long term absence of centre back pair Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez has left the manager juggling his squad and last weekend he started with skipper Jordan Henderson alongside Fabinho at the back. But Liverpool always struggle without their captain running the middle of the park, as they did last season when he was injured. His vision and leadership inspire his team-mates, while his box-to-box running means he’s as effective in attack as he is in defence.

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Premier League

Toothless Clarets need some bite

If we say Liverpool needs a spark to beat Burnley, then Sean Dyche’s team must rediscover its own mojo after back to back 1-0 defeats. A loss to Manchester United last Tuesday was followed by defeat to West Ham on Saturday, but the nature of the two losses was in contrast.

Against the Red Devils, the two stars of the show were Paul Pogba and VAR. The French World Cup winner scored a stunning winner, on 75 minutes, after dominating the pitch during the second half. But in the first half an evenly matched tussle was clouded by a series of VAR dramas, first saving Burnley’s Robbie Brady from a red card for a trip, and taking the playback to a horrific Luke Shaw tackle on Johann Berg Gudmundsson. Shaw escaped a red, but then, minutes later, his captain was denied a perfectly good goal by VAR.

As Burnley pushed for an equaliser VAR spared Maguire after he handled in the penalty area and that was that. While they put up a decent fight against Manchester United, the Clarets rolled over for a weaker West Ham four days later.

The Clarets’ hopelessly out of form strikers have put more pressure on the club’s excellent defence and in both defeats, they have looked better when wing wizard

Dwight McNeill and striker Matej Vydra climbed off the bench, so we could see both start on Thursday.

Young midfielder, Josh Brownhill, who has made the most interceptions in the league this season, will be quite happy if Henderson continues in the Reds’ defence.

Jay Roriguez helped Burnley end Liverpool’s 100 per cent home record in the Premier League last season — Burnley’s Jay Rodriguez warming up before their match against Leeds United

History

The head to head statistics give Liverpool a predictable lead at nine wins to two in all games since 2005, though last season the Clarets ended the Champions’ 100 per cent home record with a 1-1 drawback in July, Jay Rodriguez equalising after Andy Robertson had given the hosts a first-half lead.

Recent form throws up some fascinating stats, Burnley have three wins from the last six games to Liverpool’s two, but the Clarets have lost three while Liverpool have drawn three and lost just the once.

Betting Tip

	Liverpool vs Burnley	Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.19
	January 22, 04:00 (GMT+8)

At odds of 1.21 here at SBOTOP, Liverpool are red hot favourites to take all three points with the draw at 6.40 and Burnley way out at 12.00.

I expect the Reds to win, but not by a distance against a well organised Burnley defence, and Klopp will be well aware of the Clarets’ ability to upset the odds.