Liverpool Beat Burnley To Close Gap On Man City

By Max Wise

Liverpool moved within one point of leaders Manchester City with a 4-2 victory over Burnley at Anfield on Sunday.

A brace apiece from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were enough to give the Reds their 22nd victory of the Premier League season.

Against all odds Burnley took the lead in the 6th minute with their first attack of the game after Joel Matip conceded a needless corner.

Ashley Westwood’s in-swinger from the corner went straight into the Liverpool net with goalkeeper Alisson furious with the referee for failing to spot a foul on him.

Roberto Firmino got Liverpool back on track in the 19th minute after a lovely one-two between Salah and Wijnaldum, resulted in the Egyptian’s cross causing a mix-up between goalkeeper Tom Heaton and James Tarkowski for the Brazilian to tap the ball over the line.

Sadio Mane gave Liverpool the lead for the first time after Adam Lallana charged down a Burnley clearance that deflected into the path of the Senegalese to dispatch a first time curler beyond Tom Heaton.

That goal made Mane the fifth Liverpool player to score in six consecutive home games in the Premier League after Michael Owen, Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez and Mohamed Salah.

Roberto Firmino got his second goal of the day to put daylight between the two sides after 67 minutes following a terrible goal kick by Tom Heaton.

The Burnley goalkeeper’s kick landed straight at the feet of Salah, who charged into the box but a challenge on the forward deflected into the path of Firmino to tap home.

Substitute Johan Burg Gudmundsson stroke one past Alisson in stoppage time to ensure a nervy finish to the game but Daniel Sturridge played in Mane, who rounded Heaton before slotting into a yawning net to settle the Anfield nerves.