Darwin Nunez on target as Liverpool beat Burnley to top Premier League table
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Liverpool's Darwin Nunez celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Burnley.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
LONDON – Slowly but surely, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reached the top of the English Premier League table, and he is now aiming for his team to stay there for the rest of the season.
The Reds climbed to the summit on Dec 26 as Darwin Nunez ended his goal drought to inspire a 2-0 win against struggling Burnley at Turf Moor.
“(We have) 42 points, that’s really cool because the first part of the season is done and it was absolutely all right what we did,” Klopp said.
“And if I’m right, we cannot be more than a point away from the top of the table, if Arsenal win (against West Ham United). That’s obviously in punching distance, let me say it like that.”
Liverpool took an early lead through Nunez and held on despite wasting a host of chances – they had 19 shots and 10 were on target.
The Uruguayan striker’s eighth goal this season was his first in 13 club games since he netted against Bournemouth in the League Cup on Nov 1.
Diogo Jota, back from a month’s injury absence, wrapped up the victory late on to leave Klopp’s men two points above second-placed Arsenal (40), who have a game in hand.
The Gunners will be seeking to regain top spot with a victory at home to West Ham on Dec 28.
“Nunez is an incredible finisher but if a striker doesn’t score, the whole system is not the same,” Klopp added.
After successive league draws with Manchester United and Arsenal before Christmas, this was an essential victory for Liverpool’s title ambitions.
Chasing a first title since 2020, the Reds are still not at their flowing best but what they lack in grace they make up for in grit.
“It was really intense. Whatever the outside world thinks, it is really intense – and coming here and playing the game we played is absolutely exceptional,” Klopp said.
“It’s exceptional as well that we didn’t score more goals... We caused Burnley so many problems, we played a super game. As the last game in a really busy period you cannot really expect that but we did.
“I really liked the game we played, but we should have scored more and that’s clear.”
Darwin Nunez scoring Liverpool’s first goal against Burnley.
Burnley remained second from bottom on 11 points but it could have different if Zeki Amdouni had given them a shock lead, when he raced through the middle for a wayward shot that whistled wide in the opening minutes.
In their final game of the year, Liverpool took advantage of that escape in the sixth minute as Cody Gakpo teed up Nunez and he curled a fine finish into the far corner from outside the box.
Burnley’s Josh Brownhill then forced Alisson Becker to make a good save with a testing long-range strike.
But Liverpool were always in the ascendancy and Harvey Elliott thought he had scored in the 55th minute with a cushioned finish from Ryan Gravenberch’s cross, but the goal was ruled out after a video assistant referee check for offside.
In the 90th minute, Portugal forward Jota delivered the knockout blow, firing home from an acute angle inside the area for his 50th Liverpool goal.
Liverpool’s Diogo Jota scoring their second goal to wrap up a 2-0 win.
Despite the loss, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany was not convinced that Liverpool were the much better side.
“We were a little too open in the first half,” he said. “But we were still dangerous in transition opportunities and we just didn’t find the final ball or make the right decision.
“At times, we were in numbers counter-attacking. The difference is how they scored the goal, we weren’t able to do the same thing. We kept being dangerous and we had a chance. If that goes in then it is 1-1 but unfortunately, the game opens up and they are so good in those moments.” AFP, REUTERS
