Liverpool Finally Win Dirty

Winning ugly isn’t something Liverpool usually do and that’s a big reason why they fell away in the title race. It’s impossible to play well every week but you need to be able to win, regardless of performance. The home side were terrible for much of this game but they battled and scrapped, which bodes well.

Out-of-form Philippe Coutinho struggled to make an impression and was replaced by 17-year-old Ben Woodburn after an hour. Usually such a decision would send shockwaves through the crowd, but the fact that nobody was surprised, let alone upset, tells you everything about how disappointing “El Magico” was once again.

6 — With several players ruled out through injury the starting line-up almost picked itself and bench options were limited. The substitutions Klopp made were big calls but they were the right ones and helped the team get over the line.

GK Simon Mignolet, 7 — Powerless to do anything about Burnley’s goal and he didn’t have a shot to save after that. He did well to withstand an aerial bombardment and made some excellent punches to clear danger.

DF Nathaniel Clyne, 5 — Not his best game. Didn’t contribute much in an attacking sense and was caught in possession a couple of times that, on another day, could have proved costly.

DF Ragnar Klavan, 7 — Had some difficult moments early when the speedy Andre Gray managed to exploit space behind James Milner. Once that problem was solved, though, Kalvan was largely untroubled. Made a terrific late block to deny an equaliser.

DF Joel Matip, 7 — Looks to be finding his best form again after a difficult few weeks. Stood up to the physical challenge posed by Burnley’s front two and was as cool as ever in possession.

DF James Milner, 6 — A steady performance from the veteran. His attacking play was hampered by how poor Coutinho was in front of him, but Milner always offered an outlet on the left and defended stoutly.

MF Emre Can, 7 — Didn’t have the best of starts but grew into the game, never shied away from the physical battle and scored the winning goal with a fine strike from distance. He also created a good chance for Sadio Mane late on.

MF Georginio Wijnaldum, 7 — Struggled to get into the game but was on the spot to level the score seconds before half-time. That goal was a huge turning point because the crowd was getting edgy and the players were struggling. Wijnaldum has made a habit of scoring crucial goals at Anfield in recent months; one or two away from home would be nice now.

MF Adam Lallana, 6 — As with most of his teammates, he struggled to make any impact in the first half but he helped spark Liverpool’s comeback with his work rate and determination to win back possession. Much better in the second half, but this performance was more about graft than guile.

FW Sadio Mane, 6 — Always looked to be Liverpool’s biggest threat but was never anywhere close to his best. Burnley paid extra close attention to him and his chances were limited as a result, but only a good save from Tom Heaton kept him off the scoresheet.

FW Philippe Coutinho, 3 — Another dismal performance from a player, who has been struggling for months since returning from injury. Having looked a little more like his old self last week against Arsenal, this was a worryingly poor display and he could have no complaints about being hooked so early.

FW Divock Origi, 5 — Didn’t really get involved as much as was needed and was frequently beaten easily in the air by Burnley’s centre backs. He did create the equaliser for Wijnaldum with a decent cross and was marginally better in the second half, but it was no great surprise when he made way for Lucas late on.

Substitutes

FW Ben Woodburn, 6 — Introduced in place of Coutinho with half an hour to go and the game level at 1-1. It was a big vote of confidence in the teenager by Klopp and Woodburn certainly didn’t let anybody down. Showed some nice touches and got into good positions.

MF Lucas Leiva, NR — Brought on to help shore up the midfield and see the game out, he did what was required by winning some important headers and keeping possession.