Match Preview for Liverpool v Burnley
Arne Slot is hoping Liverpool can find the spark that kick-starts their season and pushes them towards a Champions League spot, starting tomorrow when Burnley visit Anfield.
It has been a disappointing campaign for Liverpool, falling well short of expectations with their hopes of defending the title they won so impressively last year already extinguished.
They are unbeaten in 11 games, however, and still have some major targets: a top-four finish, the Champions League and FA Cup.
Slot has faced criticism over the team’s style of play as he attempts to stabilise after a period earlier in the season when they conceded 10 goals in three games and he admits it is a struggle to find the right balance.
He said: “In the last 11 games, we have hardly conceded chances, but in the period before that we created lots but conceded more chances. Those were more open games where maybe people look back and want those now but the results weren’t as we wanted them to be.
“We have to find that balance and we will, because I can see the players are growing, they find belief and getting better and fitter. We are waiting for a moment when we can kick-start our season even more than we have.”
While impressed with their current run, Slot is not getting carried away.
“Ideally it’s not 11 games unbeaten, it’s 11 wins in a row. That is what we aim for,” he added.
“Aston Villa won a lot of games in a row but from where we were, when we conceded four goals against PSV Eindhoven to now, a much better place but there’s always room for improvement, even last year when we were top of the Premier League and Champions League at this time.”
The situation continues to look pretty bleak for Burnley.
The second-from-bottom Clarets are eight points from safety having won just three of 21 league games this season. They can, at least, point to two positive performances in their last two fixtures, a 2-2 league draw with Manchester United and a 5-1 thumping of Millwall in the FA Cup.
“We’re positive like we always have been but, of course, the mood’s probably a little bit better after the results,” said boss Scott Parker, whose team lost the reverse game against Liverpool at Turf Moor to a Mohamed Salah penalty five minutes into second-half injury-time.
Parker added: “It was a positive performance from us and one, of course, that hurt at the back end of such a late goal to go in. We can take massive positives from that performance playing against a world-class team and we know the challenges we face going to Anfield as well.”
Team News for Liverpool v Burnley
Liverpool have lost defenders Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley to injury for the rest of the season while Alexander Isak is out until at least March.
Salah is still on AFCON duty and is due to play for Egypt in their 3rd/4th place play-off against Nigeria tomorrow.
Burnley forward Zian Flemming is not quite ready but Parker will make a late call on defender Joe Worrall.
Predicted line-ups for Liverpool v Burnley
Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Ekitike
Burnley: Dubravka; Walker, Laurent, Esteve, Humphreys, Pires; Ugochukwu, Florentino, Mejbri, Edwards; Broja
How to watch Liverpool v Burnley: TV and online streams
Liverpool versus Burnley kicks off tomorrow at 3pm. Due to blackout rules in the UK, it is not available to watch on TV or via an online stream.
If you don’t live in the UK, click HERE, to discover which station may be showing the game in your region.
Stats for Liverpool v Burnley
- Liverpool have lost just one of their nine Premier League home games against Burnley (W6 D2)
- Burnley have lost their last six Premier League games against Liverpool by an aggregate score of 12-1
- Liverpool have drawn 1-1 with Sunderland and 0-0 with Leeds at Anfield this season, but haven’t failed to win three successive home league games against promoted sides since January 2002