STEEL BUT NO STYLE
It’s in the Can as Kop battle back
EMRE CAN bailed out Liverpool with a second-half strike as the Reds finally showed some steel when not producing the style.
This won’t go down as one of their finest afternoons – but it could be one of the more important ones of the season when the Champions League places are decided in May.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were well below their best and a shadow of the team that swept Arsenal aside here just a week ago.
But they battled hard to come from behind to beat travel-sick Burnley and extend their lead over rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.
It looked like another slip-up was on the cards when Ashley Barnes put the Clarets ahead early on.
But goals either side of the break from Georginio Wijnaldum and Can stretched Liverpool’s lead over fifth-placed Arsenal to five points and put six between them and United, albeit having played two games more.
Liverpool’s last three home games before yesterday were against champions-elect Chelsea and fellow top-four chasers Tottenham and Arsenal.
They collected seven points from a possible nine from them, so you would think that the visit of a side that has not won away all season would guarantee another three in the bag.
But this is Liverpool, a side that routinely makes it hard against the so-called smaller sides, so the win could not be guaranteed.
‘Here we go again’ was the mood inside Anfield when Matt Lowton curled in a perfect cross for Barnes to prod home the opener in the seventh minute.
Having seen their side collect just two points on the road all season, the buoyant travelling fans were dreaming of an Anfield win after their first goal at this ground since 1975. The Clarets beat Liverpool at Turf Moor earlier in the campaign and were looking for their first top-flight double over the Reds since 1930 and their first victory here since 1974.
But those records go on, despite Liverpool underperforming yet again.
Kop boss Klopp was losing his rag on the touchline and ranted and raved in his usual fashion as Burnley frustrated his team.
How could a side that beat Arsenal in such swashbuckling fashion play like this against a team in the lower half of the table?
Slipped
Just like at Turf Moor back in late summer, Liverpool had lots of the ball but did little with it as Burnley looked to counter with Andre Gray’s pace.
But after no mistakes in the first 45 minutes from the visitors’ defence, Ben Mee slipped as he blocked Wijnaldum’s first attempt from Divock Origi’s cross which allowed the Kop midfielder to slot home from six yards.
The reprieve calmed the agitated crowd who might otherwise have booed off their team at
the break. The second half was not much better, though, until Can, who was having a poor game, showed some bottle by stepping up to put them ahead just after the hour.
Origi played the ball to the Germany international and he took one touch before finding the bottom corner from distance to finally get the Kop roaring.
Sadio Mane had a chance to wrap it up late on when Can delicately chipped a ball in but the Senegal star’s shot was saved.
Burnley launched balls forward in the dying moments in the hope one would fall to a sky blue shirt but when it eventually did, it was to the wrong man.
After a scramble in the area, Mee headed into the danger area and fellow defender Lowton was the one on the end of it.
And he provided the finish expected of a full-back as his shot sailed over the bar as a sigh of relief went around Anfield.
Liverpool had what could turn out to be three valuable points in the race for Champions League qualification when it could easily have been just one.