LIVERPOOL
A “FOOTBALL WAR” at Turf Moor had been predicted by Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool’s players showed they had the stomach for the fight.
The Reds have played freeflowing football this season and had notched up more than 40 goals away from home in all competitions before yesterday.
But in the driving rain they gritted their teeth and scrapped for every ball against Burnley. The Clarets put high balls into the box, chased lost causes and snapped at the heels of the visitors.
Liverpool matched them toe-to-toe and earned the three points when Ragnar Klavan headed home in injury time after Sadio Mane’s brilliant opener had been cancelled out by a diving Johann Berg Gudmundsson header.
The win extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to 13 matches as they consolidated their place in the top four.
“I’m really happy about our attitude and character,” said Klopp. “You need to win your average games, win with attitude when you are not 100 per cent.
“Burnley were an opponent motivated at the highest level. We needed to be ready for the wind, rain. It was cold and you need first of all concentration, you need readiness to work really hard, organisation, discipline and a little bit of luck.
“We need the wins on the not sunny days. I was never in doubt about the character of my boys.”
Liverpool were without Philippe Coutinho who, officially at least, was unavailable because of a thigh injury, although rumours linking him with a £130million switch to Barcelona continue. They were fuelled by pictures – subsequently removed – of a