Match reportLiverpool beat Burnley 3-1 in front of record Anfield league attendance
Liverpool returned to winning ways by beating Burnley 3-1 in front of a record league attendance at Anfield.
Some 59,896 supporters were present to watch goals from Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez ensure the Reds quickly regained top spot in the Premier League – Manchester City had briefly overtaken them by defeating Everton at lunchtime – and bounced back following their loss at Arsenal.
Jota’s 31st-minute opener put the hosts ahead on Saturday, before Dara O’Shea equalised for Burnley just before the interval.
Diaz quickly restored the lead in the early stages of the second half, however, and Nunez sealed victory late on.
The crowd of 59,896 topped Anfield’s previous highest in a league game of 58,757, a record that had stood since December 1949.
Team news
Jürgen Klopp made five changes to his starting XI, with Nunez joining Wataru Endo, Caoimhin Kelleher, Andy Robertson and Jarell Quansah in being restored to the line-up.
Alisson Becker and Joe Gomez missed out due to illness, but Kostas Tsimikas was named on the bench after his injury lay-off.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Endo (McConnell, 90), Van Dijk, Diaz (Gakpo, 81), Nunez, Mac Allister (Clark, 90), Jones, Jota, Robertson (Tsimikas, 90), Alexander-Arnold (Elliott, 46), Quansah.
Unused subs: Adrian, Mrozek, Gravenberch, Koumas.
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First half
Kelleher was required to make a smothering save to thwart Zeki Amdouni during a confident opening 10 minutes from the visitors but, from there, Liverpool assumed control.
An inviting Robertson cross had just too much on it for the sliding Nunez, before Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones each saw shots clear the crossbar.
The pressure on Burnley’s goal was steadily increasing and, just after the half-hour mark, it told.
Alexander-Arnold delivered an out-swinging corner and there was Jota, anticipating Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford’s misjudgement of the flight of the ball and rising to nod home.
Diaz went close to sliding in as the Reds pushed to press home their advantage, but Burnley resisted and then hauled themselves level on the stroke of half-time when O’Shea planted a header into the top corner from Josh Brownhill’s set-piece.
Second half
Harvey Elliott was introduced at the break and duly made a near-immediate impact by teeing up Diaz.
Endo made a telling contribution to the goal too, the midfielder retrieving the ball high up the pitch to enable Elliott to cross from the right. The No.19’s low delivery looped up off Maxime Esteve and Diaz was on hand to bravely steal in with a front-post diving header.
Again, though, Liverpool were unable to build on a slender lead and the next two chances were Burnley’s as David Datro Fofana spurned two one-on-ones in quick succession, with Kelleher making a fine save in the first instance.
Those narrow escapes seemed to rouse the Reds and Jota, Quansah and Virgil van Dijk all went close to making it 3-1 before Nunez did so.
Elliott was again the provider, the midfielder this time arcing in a teasing ball that Nunez glanced with aplomb into the corner.
Further opportunities came and went for Liverpool but an important three points were already secured.
Attendance: 59,896
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