Burnley 0-1 Liverpool: Fabinho decisive as Reds keep City on their toes

Liverpool continue to keep Premier League leaders Manchester City on their toes after claiming a slender 1-0 win at rock-bottom Burnley on Sunday.

City beat Norwich City 4-0 on Saturday to open up a 12-point gap at the top, but the Reds responded at Turf Moor by trimming that lead again, meaning they can still reduce the deficit to six if they win their game in hand.

It was by no means straightforward for Jurgen Klopp’s men, however. Alisson was forced into several important saves in the first half as Burnley wasted numerous opportunities.

Liverpool had threatened as well and finally took the lead just before the break through Fabinho, and that ultimately proved decisive as the Reds did a far better job of controlling the contest after half-time.

In an entertaining opening 45, Alisson was the first of the two goalkeepers to be called into meaningful action by Josh Brownhill’s 30-yard strike, before also denying Maxwel Cornet from close range.

Nick Pope then brilliantly got down to keep Naby Keita’s effort out – Burnley countered from the resulting corner and should have scored, but Wout Weghorst’s finish was poor.

Jay Rodriguez was the next to be thwarted by Alisson at point-blank range, with Sadio Mane then blasting at Pope from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery into the six-yard box a minute later.

Weghorst subsequently squandered another chance soon after and the Reds capitalised, Fabinho bundling over the line after Mane flicked on a corner.

Aside from a Ben Mee header, chances dried up drastically after the interval with the two teams’ combined xG for the second half up to the 80th minute sitting at just 0.15.

Mee nearly turned a Salah pass into his own net late on and Diogo Jota saw an effort deflected wide when he looked destined to score, but it mattered not for the Reds.