Burnley v Liverpool: Premier League preview

Premier League
Saturday 20 August 2016 - 3:00 pm
Turf Moor
Burnley2
0Liverpool
Show Match Events
⚽️ Vokes2'
⚽️ Gray37'
60' Henderson
Possession %
1981
Total Shots
326
Shots on Target
25
Shots Blocked
8
Offside
3
Hide Match Events

What is this sorcery?

Liverpool playing football at the traditional time of 3pm on a Saturday?

It's a relatively rare kick off time for Liverpool and under the terms of the traditional fixture list computer this would have been a televised game.

The original Premier League fixture list had this game at Anfield - a match sure to have featured on TV with newly promoted Burnley due to be the first to play in front a significantly expanded Liverpool stadium.

However, with work still ongoing on the construction of the new Main Stand, a request was made to switch the fixtures with Burnley which they kindly agreed to.  Burnley will have to wait until the middle of March to visit Anfield.

LFC have won their opening 2 games of the league season only 3 times in the past 12 years.

Premier League 'visitors'

Burnley are making their third appearance in the Premier League - and this time they will be hoping they stay for longer than a season.  We haven't helped them - Liverpool have not been kind to the men from Turf Moor.

In Burnley's first season in the Premier League, 2009-10, the reds beat them 4-0 at home and 4-0 away.

Their second trip to the division, in 2014-15, was the season after the reds impressive Suarez-led tilt at the title.  Despite the absence of the talismanic Uruguayan who had moved to Barcelona, the reds won 1-0 away and 2-0 at home.  Eleven goals scored by the reds with no reply in the 4 Premier League meetings.

Raheem Sterling was the last person to score for Liverpool at Turf Moor whilst Henderson and Sturridge are our last two players to score against Burnley - at home in March 2015.

Team News

Sadio Mane suffered a training ground accident when he landed badly on his shoulder this week - likely to rule himself out of this weekend's game.  James Milner however has recovered from the heel injury sustained in the friendly against Barcelona at Wembley.  Daniel Sturridge is also back in full training.  Both players however have missed a number of training sessions over the past two weeks so may not return immediately to the first time.

Alberto Moreno (and Jurgen Klopp in his pre-match press conference) have shrugged off the criticism from last week - irrespective of people's thoughts about the player it wouldn't be productive to get on the lads back with 37 important league fixtures ahead.

Meanwhile Liverpool's Danny Ings would love to be involved - he left Burnley for Liverpool in the summer of 2015.

Burnley

Burnley will be aiming for their first, and possibly second and third, Premier League points.  Their 1-0 defeat last week against Swansea was their first league defeat of 2016. They had been on an impressive run since Boxing Day last year which meant Sean Dyche's men finished top of the championship with a 4 point cushion.  Their automatic promotion was earned with the use of just 25 first team players.

This week Burnley have signed Steven Defour from Anderlecht. He could go straight into the starting line up.

Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan is also now at Burnley - he's on a year-long loan from Anfield but he is ineligible to face the reds under Premier League rules.

Andre Gray is the main man up front - it was his 23 goals that spurred the Clarets into the Premier League.

Speaking to the media Sean Dyche said that he believes Klopp has done a good job at installing his preferred tactics at Liverpool:

"He (Jurgen Klopp) has got a depth of quality there as well to deliver it, so yeah again, a big task. You'll hear me say that all season, really, because we can't take anyone lightly in the Premier League. We're the minnows, you know, we're looking up at everyone and trying to give a good account of ourselves in order to win games."

"(he's using) that kind of forceful football, getting through the thirds quickly, getting wide quickly and being progressive in attack - it's a style I personally like very much and we've done a bit of that here when we can."

TV

One of the rare Liverpool games that isn't being televised live in the UK - it will be on in all the usual places elsewhere in the world.

Odds

Liverpool are strong favourites with the bookmakers at 4/7.  Burnley are 6/1 to get the win.

£5 would return £350 if you Coutinho starts the scoring in a 4-0 win (70/1).

Or, just like last week, maybe our opponents will start the scoring.  Andre Gray first scorer and a 3-1 win to Liverpool would net you £550 from the same stake.

Get £30 in free bets when you bet £10

Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi are both LFC's shortest priced strikers for the opening goal - despite the fact neither of them are certainties to start.  Coutinho is way back as the reds 5th most likely opening goalscorer.

Liverpool winger Georginio Wijnaldum is awaiting his debut goal and in the absence of Mane is a decent 9/1 to get the first goal.

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