It had been another one of those afternoons, the kind Liverpool fans have become wearily accustomed to seeing over the past 20 years.
Countless times they have started a season with a win to fire optimism, only for it to be followed by a sobering defeat. So, from the high of Arsenal six days earlier, perhaps they should have foreseen this loss at Burnley. These setbacks lead to demands for the manager to return to the market. So, would this defeat at Turf Moor prompt Jurgen Klopp to buy?
‘If one game changed my mind then I would be a real idiot,’ said the German bluntly. ‘But the answer is I don’t know.’
Klopp was bemused his side had lost to first-half goals from Sam Vokes and Andre Gray which were both consequences of Liverpool errors. Indeed, you wondered whether all the work Liverpool have done in this window — seven signings so far — have corrected issues that needed to be addressed at the end of last season.
Take the situation at left back. James Milner was in no way to blame for this reverse, but asking a right-footed midfielder to take over from Alberto Moreno does not give the team balance. Liverpool sold Brad Smith, who could have slotted into Moreno’s position, to Bournemouth and withdrew from their pursuit of Leicester’s Ben Chilwell when they could not agree a fee with the champions.
Privately, Liverpool insist their business for the window is done but perhaps Klopp could make one final foray. ‘We should be ready in our development and these mistakes shouldn’t happen any more,’ he said. ‘Our training drills did not include us playing the ball to our opponents. We deserved a defeat.’ Burnley’s survival prospects depend on whether Vokes and Gray can replicate their performances here consistently.
‘This is the first time Sam has been properly fit,’ said manager Sean Dyche. ‘Andre’s a newcomer, so there are no guarantees with them. But they are very good players. They’ve got a thirst to keep improving and that’s the key to how we work.’
Super stat: This was the first time since Boxing Day 1973 that Burnley have scored more than one goal in a match against Liverpool.
BURNLEY (4-4-2): Heaton 7; Lowton 7, Keane 8.5, Mee 8, Ward 7.5; Arlfeld 7, Marney 8, Defour 8 (Gudmundsson 56min, 7), Boyd 7.5; Gray 8 (O’Neill 90), Vokes 8 (Jutkiewicz 82). Subs not used: Robinson, Tarkowski, Kightly, Darikwa.
Scorers: Vokes 2, Gray 37.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet 5.5; Clyne 4, Lovren 5, Klavan 5, Milner 5 (Moreno 78); Lallana 5 (Grujic 78), Henderson 5, Wijnaldum 4; Sturridge 4 (Origi 64, 6), Firmino 5, Coutinho 5.5. Subs not used: Manninger, Can, Matip, Stewart.
Booked: Henderson.
Man of the match: Michael Keane.
Referee: Lee Mason 6. – Daily Mail