Burnley welcomed Liverpool to Turf Moor and it looked like it was going to be an easy win for the champions but a couple of bright showings by Burnley gave the idea that it could be a frustrating game for the visitors.
The game turned into a show of Liverpool pressure that was almost wasted until the dying minutes of the game when Hannibal Mejbri made a painful mistake allowing his elbow stray into the path of Frimpong’s cross.
Liverpool got the penalty and Mohamed Salah stepped up to deliver what became the only goal of the match.
It was Liverpool’s game from the start as the Reds had much of the ball from the first half and it was the same story when the second half began.
Substitutes Robertson and Bradley kept hammering the opposition for goals, pushing up and they combined with crosses that kept testing Burnley’s backline.
Ekitike and Szoboszlai both had shots but they were blocked in heroic fashion by the Burnley defense who kept throwing bodies at the ball. The away side were asking questions but they could not find the finish.
The second half opened with Wirtz dancing into the box and almost finding the opener but his effort went just wide of the far post.
There was certainly belief in the Liverpool camp that they could get a win from this fixture as they have been level at half time in three away games in the Premier League against newly promoted sides and gone on to win all three.
Salah was quiet most of the game, unable to connect with any passes or crosses.
On the other hand, Burnley could not muster up to 10 touches in the Liverpool penalty area, telling the full tale of Liverpool’s dominance in this game.
At one point the Reds had over 79% possession and they kept moving it side to side searching for that opening. It felt like another frustrating day until the final ten minutes when chances opened up.
Lesley Ugochukwu was sent off for his second bookable offence when he stretched to force the ball off Wirtz but could not make proper contact with it.
This didn’t deter the resolve of the Burnley strategy but the turning point came in stoppage time, three minutes into the five minutes added time.
Frimpong’s cross from the edge of the box struck the arm of Hannibal Mejbri who was trying to shield himself against the cross.
Howbeit cruel, rules are rules and his team was penalized. Salah stepped forward and calmly buried the penalty into the top right corner, sending Dubravka the wrong way.
Burnley it was heartbreak after all the defensive work and discipline, undone by one straying arm. But they can take a few positives from this game. Play like this as always and they may just secure their stay in the Premier League beyond this season.
