Darwin Núñez finishes off Burnley in front of Liverpool’s record Anfield crowd

The biggest league crowd in Anfield’s 132-year history lent a sense of occasion to Liverpool’s return to the top of the Premier League following a brief reappearance from Manchester City. The display was far from vintage by Jürgen Klopp’s leaders, and Burnley wasted several chances to dampen their afternoon, but the response to Arsenal was all that mattered to a grateful Liverpool manager.

Liverpool’s front three of Diogo Jota, Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez were all on the scoresheet before a record attendance boosted to 59,896 by the full opening of the new Anfield Road stand. The home side were in control by the latter stages but the late dominance was deceptive. Vincent Kompany’s relegation-threatened team had made Liverpool fight their way back to the summit.

One slip was all it took to undermine the visitors’ bright opening. Burnley started strongly, imposing themselves on a subdued Liverpool and committing numbers to a succession of raids on a stretched home defence. The visitors’ positive work was frequently undermined by a poor final ball or decision inside the Liverpool box but, when they did get sight of goal, Zeki Amdouni was denied at close range by Caoimhin Kelleher and David Datro Fofana’s shot was turned behind by Andy Robertson. Kelleher was deputising for the absent Alisson, one of several Liverpool players to have fallen ill in the week, while Robertson was making his first start since dislocating a shoulder while on Scotland duty in October.

There was no sign of the reaction that Klopp had demanded from Liverpool following last weekend’s defeat at Arsenal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones both fired over from outside the Burnley area but there was little intensity or creativity on display from a side seeking to reclaim top spot in the Premier League. With Maxime Esteve and Dara O’Shea impressing in the heart of the Burnley defence, Kompany’s team were comfortable. And then, with one lapse in concentration, they were behind.

James Trafford will not remember his Anfield visit with fondness. The England under-21 goalkeeper made a costly error when coming off his line in an attempt to claim an Alexander-Arnold corner. Trafford collided into O’Shea and completely missed the ball, leaving Jota the routine task of heading into an unguarded net. Jota did not have to move to convert his 14th goal of the season.

Robertson had a decent chance to double Liverpool’s lead when slipped in by Díaz but a timely block from O’Shea took the sting out of his shot. Trafford slightly atoned for his mistake when saving with his legs from the Colombia forward’s close range effort.

Liverpool had hardly ignited, however, and Klopp’s frustration boiled over when a penalty appeal was rightly dismissed after Jota went down under Wilson Odobert’s touch. The Liverpool manager was booked for his protests and his mood deteriorated moments later when Burnley levelled. O’Shea timed his near post run to perfection at a Josh Brownhill corner. Soaring above the smaller Liverpool duo of Díaz and Wataru Endo, the Burnley central defender dispatched a thumping header into the top corner. The first half did not unfold according to the Liverpool script.

Harvey Elliott replaced Alexander-Arnold at the interval and made a swift impact as Liverpool regained the lead. Trafford put his team under pressure with a poor clearance, delaying too long and almost letting in Núñez. The hosts capitalised, pinning Burnley back and regaining possession when Endo challenged Amdouni outside the area. Elliott escaped down the right and crossed to the near post where Díaz converted with a diving header. The goal stood following a lengthy VAR review for offside. Burnley’s complaints, however, centred on a possible foul by Alexis Mac Allister on Aaron Ramsey just prior to Endo’s interception. Kompany joined Klopp in the book for his protests.

Burnley squandered two clear-cut chances to equalise for a second time. Kelleher produced a vital save when Fofana burst through the centre of Liverpool’s defence. The loose ball fell to Odobert, who had to score, but the left-back sliced woefully wide. Fofana found himself one-on-one with the Liverpool keeper again when put through by Amdouni but curled a wayward finish wide of the far post.

Liverpool punished the visitors’ profligacy to secure victory through the tireless Núñez. Elliott delivered the assist from the right once again, after Jota had played him in from a Robertson corner, and from his floated cross the Uruguay international did superbly to steer an awkward header beyond Trafford. Núñez could have had a second in stoppage time but shot straight at the Burnley keeper when clean through.