POPE’S BLESSED
Klopp left cursing as keeper ends bid for historic home run
LIVERPOOL must be sick of the sight of Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope, who made his first Premier League start at Anfield in 2017 and had a worldie in a 1-1 draw.
Yesterday Pope, now an England international, did it again. Same performance, same scoreline and this time one with greater consequences for the champions in their pursuit of records.
Jurgen Klopp’s side fired in 23 shots at Pope, nine on target, but scored j ust once t hrough t he unlikely source of left-back Andy Robertson.
How the visiting goalkeeper kept out fiercely-struck shots from Mo Salah and Sadio Mane in particular was staggering.
Burnley reaped the rewards when Jay Rodriguez levelled quickly after Klopp made a couple of changes during the second- half drinks break. And the visitors nearly rubbed salt into the wound late on when Johann Gudmundsson struck the bar.
Even so, a draw was damaging enough for Liverpool, who had other targets to chase with the title already won.
Their dream of being the first team to go through a season with a perfect home record has now gone, having won every previous Premier League game at Anfield since January 2019.
Neither do they have any margin for error left to pass Manchester Cit y’s r ecord 100- poi nt haul. Liverpool need seven points from their remaining three games to match City, three wins to better it.
‘It was like Liverpool against Nick Pope at t i mes , ’ s a i d Kl o p p afterwards. ‘ We created super chances but there was always one guy who wanted to deny us and it was Nick Pope.
‘That was the problem in the game and the score [1-0] left it open for Burnley. I feel like we have lost the game, I know we haven’t.’
‘ Popey was e xcel l e nt , ’ said Burnley manager Sean Dyche. ‘He had his shoes on the wrong feet with his kicking which is unusual for him, but he kept the ball out of the net. I am not bothered if he is unorthodox, his job is make sure goals don’t go in.
‘He has been doing well all season.
His biggest strength is he keeps calm if he does make a mistake. I think he is i mpr o v i n g . Hi s dominance in the box is there for all to see. And you have to give credit to the group in front of him. They are giving their lot even in tough games to try and keep him protected.’ With an empty stadium, the first half resembled a classic training exercise of attack versus defence. Burnley had nine men inside their own penalty area during some Liverpool attacks as chances quickly mounted up without being taken. Mane had a shot blocked by Charlie Taylor’s midriff, Kevin Long threw his body in the way to stop Salah, Roberto Firmino and Curtis Jones missed chances and Salah curled a freekick over.
And that was before the Egyptian connected sweetly with Firmino’s knockdown and looked anguished to see Pope somehow claw away his left-foot volley.
Frustration was t emporarily ended after 34 minutes when Robertson strayed to the right side of the penalty area. Fabinho pinged a perfect pass over a l i ne of defenders and the Scot had time to flex his neck muscles and guide a neat header into the bottom corner for this third goal of the season and first since November. A second Liverpool goal before the interval would have finished the contest but Mane’s spin and blast was met with an outstanding athletic dive and tip-away by Pope.
‘Liverpool were brilliant in the first half but I told my team at half-time that even a team as good as them couldn’t keep it up to that level,’ said Dyche.
Even so, Liverpool should have wrapped it up after the interval with Firmino rolling his finish against the upright and Salah denied by Pope again. It is an oddity in t hi s i ncredible s eason f or Liverpool that their centre-forward Firmino has not scored a goal at home.
‘It’s not a problem who scores for us. He gives us other things and was brilliant today,’ said Klopp.
Though Burnley were more competitive, it was still a surprise to see them level after 69 minutes. Klopp had j ust sent on Trent Alexander-Arnold and Naby Keita for youngsters Curtis Jones and Neco Williams during the secondhalf drinks break when Burnley restarted with a long free-kick.
James Tarkowski won the first aerial duel and sent the ball to the edge of the penalty area where Rodriguez adjusted his body as the chance fell behind him. The finish into the bottom corner was unerring for his 11th goal of the season.
Klopp complained afterwards that Burnley were allowed to bend the law on set pieces. ‘How can you let three players block our goalkeeper?’ he said.
He had a point but not on the goal itself for which Alisson stayed on his line. Incredibly, Burnley then c o u l d h a v e won i t when a n 87th-minute corner caused mayhem in t he Liverpool defence and Gudmundsson shot against the bar as he stood by the penalty spot. Liverpool also had chances to win. Alexander- Arnold had a strike punched away by Pope, Salah fired over and then failed to beat Pope from eight yards with his weaker right foot in injury-time.
It summed up the afternoon. Salah grimacing as his Golden Boot chances suffered a blow. Pope was showing the form that means no goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets this season in the race for the Golden Glove. ‘To be up there with Alisson [and Ederson] is an honour,’ he said.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Williams 6 (Alexander-Arnold 69min, 6.5), Gomez 7, Van Dijk 7, Robertson 8.5; Wijnaldum 6 (OxladeChamberlain 81), Fabinho 7, Jones 6.5 (Keita 69, 6); Salah 6, Firmino 7, Mane 6. Booked: Gomez. Subs (not used): Adrian, Lovren, Minamino, Shaqiri, Origi, Elliott.
BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 9; Bardsley 6, Tarkowski 7.5, Long 8, Taylor 6.5; Pieters 7 (Gudmundsson 65, 6), Westwood 6, Brownhill 6.5, McNeil 6; Rodriguez 7, Wood 6 (Vyrda 65, 6). Booked: Bardsley. Subs (not used): Peacock- Farrell, Brady, Thompson, Dunne, Benson, Goodridge, Driscoll-Glennon.
Referee: D Coote (Nottinghamshire) 7.