2020-2021 PL: Liverpool vs. Burnley

(The Guardian) 9 min: Barnes slips a ball down the right in the hope of releasing Wood. A better pass would have split Liverpool open, with Wood in acres, but it’s too heavy and Alisson is able to rush to the edge of his box to claim.

(The Guardian) 13 min: Shaqiri backheels in the Burnley box and finds Wijnaldum, but Liverpool’s stand-in captain can’t sort his feet out. Burnley go up the other end and launch it high. Alisson falls over Wood in the slapstick style as he tries to claim. The ball breaks to Barnes, who shoots from the edge of the box, but Alisson has sprung up immediately and blocks brilliantly. From the ridiculous to the sublime.

(The Guardian) 15 min: Burnley will be happy enough with this start. They’ve asked Liverpool a couple of questions, while Pope has only had to seriously intervene on one occasion so far.

(The Guardian) 18 min: McNeil and Taylor combine crisply down the left. McNeil’s eventual cross is blocked and loops harmlessly into Alisson’s arms, but Burnley are looking the more coherent side here. They’re giving as good as they’re getting. Perhaps even a little more.

(The Guardian) 21 min: A couple of corners for Liverpool out on the right. Neither are any good. But then their first shot in anger, Shaqiri bustling in from the right and sending a fierce riser towards the top right. It’s just wide, and Pope probably had it covered, but that’s better from Liverpool, who have otherwise been their usual 2021 selves so far: timid and unsure.

---

23 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain follows Shaqiri’s lead, sending a speculative effort goalwards from 25 yards. It’s easy pickings for Pope.