Liverpool defeated struggling Burnley 3-1 at Anfield on Saturday to take back the top spot in the Premier League.
Earlier in the day, Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over Everton had displaced Jurgen Klopp’s team from first place.
After Burnley’s Dara O’Shea cancelled out Diogo Jota’s opening goal, it appeared as though Liverpool may finish the weekend off the top.
Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez’s goals in the second half, however, helped Liverpool regain their composure and move two points clear of second-placed City.
The victory was earned by hard work rather than a spectacular display, as Liverpool’s side, plagued by injuries and flu, managed to muster just enough strength to defeat Burnley, who were now in second place.
In front of Liverpool’s league record-breaking attendance of 59,896, after
Luckily for Klopp, Harvey Elliott, Alexander-Arnold’s replacement, set up the goals for Nunez and Diaz.
For twenty-five minutes, Liverpool appeared to be struggling, as Caoimhin Kelleher had to move fast to stop Zeki Amdouni’s shot.
The breakthrough occurred in the 31st minute when Jota scored his fifth goal in six games after Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford misjudged the trajectory of a corner.
In first-half stoppage time, O’Shea outjumped Wataru Endo and struck an even stronger header from 12 yards over from Josh Brownhill’s corner, sending the ball beyond Kelleher.
Seven minutes after the interval, Elliott made his first significant contribution when his low cross took a deflection off Maxime Esteve and allowed a stooping Diaz to nod in at the near post.
Kelleher made a key save in the 64th minute in a one-on-one against David Datro Fofana, with Wilson Odobert blazing over the rebound with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Visiting sides rarely get the chance to make amends for such profligacy in the Klopp era and Nunez delivered the knockout blow in the 79th minute when he flicked a header inside the far post from Elliott’s cross.