TURF AT THE TOP FOR KOP

Tinkerman Jurgen makes seven changes but needs Firmino to come off bench and keep up City chase

JURGEN KLOPP took a gamble with his team selection but a last roll of the dice with his substitutes spared his blushes.

Liverpool looked well below their best as they were forced to come from behind against strugglers Burnley.

But it took just four minutes for supersub Roberto Firmino to seal three points as the Reds avoided losing ground in the Premier League title race.

Kop boss Klopp went for seven changes from Sunday’s last-gasp Merseyside derby win over Everton.

And he looked like he was regretting it on the hour mark with Burnley leading through Jack Cork’s opener.

Divock Origi, late hero on Sunday, was given a first start of the season but was hauled off for Firmino soon after James Milner had levelled it up.

Klopp had also brought on Mohamed Salah in the 65th minute after leaving the Egyptian superstar on the bench despite Sadio Mane being out injured.

There were plenty of worried faces in the away end until Firmino’s goal. And a late third from Xherdan Shaqiri soothed any lingering nerves,

With the scores level at 1-1 Firmino acted quickest to tap in after Virgil van Dijk stretched to pull back Trent Alexander-Arnold’s clever free-kick in the 69th minute.

Burnley were left with nothing after their promising start and they have now gone eight games without a league win.

Unbeaten Liverpool on the other hand are enjoying their best start to a top-flight season after 15 games with 12 wins and three draws to keep them breathing down the necks of leaders Manchester City. Liverpool may have had all of the early possession but they couldn’t create any real chances in a poor opening half from the title challengers. They were missing the creativity of Salah, Firmino and Mane up front despite Shaqiri’s best efforts.

Van Dijk worried Burnley with a first-half header but it was the Clarets who were closest to opening the scoring through Ashley Barnes. Barnes volleyed home a free-kick but his effort was rightly ruled out by a linesman’s flag. Liverpool improved after the break and Daniel Sturridge – on just his second league start this season – forced Joe Hart into a good stop. The former Manchester City keeper then pulled off an even better save to deny Naby Keita after the midfielder’s trickery carved out some space.

But Burnley took the lead in the 54th minute when Charlie Taylor headed across goal and Barnes tackled Kop keeper Alisson as he tried to collect the rebound.

It bounced to Cork and he found the net, much to the anger of the Reds keeper and his defenders, who felt Alisson had the ball in his hands.

But just eight minutes later, Milner curled into the bottom corner after being teed up by Origi.

Klopp then turned to Salah and Firmino in the 65th minute and his substitutions paid off almost immediately.

Burnley went close in stoppage time when Alisson tipped Ben Mee’s header onto the bar but Liverpool then broke away to get the third.

Salah played the final pass and Shaqiri tapped home (left) to ensure no late drama.