Liverpool vs Burnley: TV channel, kick-off time, live stream, referee, injury and team news
Liverpool resume their Premier League commitments, as they welcome Burnley to Anfield on Saturday afternoon in a push to consolidate their place within the league’s top four.
Liverpool come into the game on the back of an 11-game unbeaten run — the latest of which was a 4-1 win in an FA Cup third round clash against League One side Barnsley at Anfield on Monday.
In their last Premier League match, Liverpool played out a goalless draw away to league leaders Arsenal, in a performance that would’ve given Slot encouragement, especially with how well they played in the second half. However, that Barnsley result flattered Liverpool, who needed late goals from Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike to make sure of the result after an insipid performance for large parts of that game.
Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s game.
How to watch:
The match will not be shown on TV in the UK. It will be shown on NBC in the U.S., JioHotstar in India and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN’s live updates.
Key Details:
Kick-off time: Saturday, Jan. 17 at 3:00 p.m. GMT (10:00 a.m. ET; 8:30 p.m. IST and 1:00 a.m. AEST, Sunday)
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Referee: Andy Madley
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Injury and Team News:
Liverpool:
Mohamed Salah, F: AFCON, OUT
Alexander Isak, F: ankle, OUT, est. return late April
Wataru Endo, M: ankle, OUT, est. return late January
Conor Bradley, D: knee, OUT for the season
Giovanni Leoni, D: ACL, OUT, est. return early August
Stefan Bajcetic, M: hamstring, OUT, est return late January
Burnley:
Zian Flemming, F: knock, DOUBT
Connor Roberts, D: strain, OUT, est. return late January
Joe Worrall, D: knock, DOUBT
Jordan Beyer, D: knee, OUT, est. return late January
Josh Cullen, M: ACL, OUT for the season
Zeki Amdouni, F: ACL, OUT, est. return early April
Talking Points
Wirtz and Ekitike the keys to picking the Burnley lock
Liverpool have scored four goals in their last four league games. Considering that three of them have been against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United and Fulham, that is an indictment of an attacking unit that just isn’t working for Liverpool.
They created little of note in the FA Cup tie against Barnsley as well, and scored in the first half thanks to low-xG screamers from Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong. There was a semblance of a pattern and relentlessness only after Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz were brought on to the pitch in that game. Both assisted each other’s goals in that game, and will once again be where Liverpool look towards in their bid to win a first Premier League in four.
Wirtz has shown signs that he is adapting to life in England and is making his mark on games recently. He scored both against Wolves and Fulham in the Premier League recently. Ekitike, meanwhile, has seen his stock rise even higher in the two games he missed against Fulham and Arsenal. Without a focal point in attack, Liverpool looked lost for large periods of both those games.
With Cody Gakpo struggling for any kind of form throughout this season, and both Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha barely getting enough playing time, it is now down to Wirtz and Ekitike to show why Liverpool spend the big bucks on them last summer. Slot needs then Frenchman and the German to carry his attack through this period of games.
Liverpool’s injury crisis makes January signings almost a non-negotiable
Conor Bradley’s injury late in the game against Arsenal added to an injury crisis that has engulfed Liverpool at an inopportune time. Both Bradley and summer signing Giovanni Leoni won’t play any further part this season. Alexander Isak is out indefinitely following his ankle injury. The squad does appear thin, particularly in certain key positions.
Liverpool have three senior centre-backs available, and one of them is Joe Gomez, for whom an injury has never been far away. Worse still, Slot will have to depend on Gomez to play a few minutes at right-back too, with Jeremie Frimpong the only recognised option available in that position. Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai have both filled in at right-back at different points this season, but Liverpool are simply a better team when Jones and Szoboszlai are in midfield.
The situation is clear for Liverpool. If they want to fight for the big honours, particularly in the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup, they need to bolster their defensive options. Ideally, they’d need a centre-back and a right-back.
Burnley have picked up some momentum
Burnley beat Millwall 5-1 in the FA Cup over the weekend, to follow up their 2-2 draw against Manchester United in the Premier League at Turf Moor last week. After a dismal run of form, it is the kind of momentum that Scott Parker’s side need at this point, as they look to fight their way out of the relegation places.
As it stands, Burnley have 13 points from 21 games in the Premier League. They’re eight points adrift of safety, following a big win for Nottingham Forest against West Ham United last week. Burnley do really need to pick up some points now, if they are to put pressure on the teams above them, including Forest and Leeds United, who have just one point more than Forest.
They have been affected by some injuries to important players like Josh Cullen and Maxime Estève recently, but Burnley haven’t won any of their last 12 Premier League games. Their last win in the league came at the end of October, against Wolves.
How do Liverpool prepare for games against low blocks?
For Parker, the template to try and take something off Liverpool was set in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Burnley played a low defensive block and tried to hit Liverpool on the counter, and frustrated Slot’s side for most of the game. It was only an indiscretion from Hannibal Mejbri in injury time that gifted Liverpool a penalty which Mohamed Salah scored off, as Liverpool won 1-0.
Liverpool have suffered in games against teams defending in low blocks recently. Slot has mentioned recently how they haven’t found enough ideas to break down oppositions playing in that way, and they are sure to get more of that from Burnley.
For Liverpool, they need to make incisive passes towards their forward players like Wirtz and Ekitike. There has been a lot of sideways and backward passing from their midfield, particularly Ryan Gravenberch. Liverpool have generally been a bit too slow in getting the ball forward, and that has allowed teams to get into compact defensive shape against them.
Liverpool’s lack of a one-vs-one threat in wide areas has also been an issue when they’ve faced low blocks. With players unable to get past their markers out wide, barring a spark or two here or there from the likes of Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, it has been a rather uninspiring period from Slot’s side, who might wonder what things might have been like had they had Mohamed Salah available to them in this period.
Liverpool are still vulnerable while defending transitions
Against Barnsley in the FA Cup on Monday night, Liverpool were extremely vulnerable to moments in transition. They gave the ball away in poor areas, and then didn’t have enough numbers to deal with moments in transition. In fact, they should have gone behind in the opening minute, when Barnsley striker Davis Keillor-Dunn hit the post with a thumping header from close range.
Barnsley’s left winger Reyes Cleary also gave Liverpool a tough time, whether it was Frimpong or Szoboszlai playing at right-back. With the likes of Jaidon Anthony and Lyle Foster available to Parker, that is the template he’ll likely go towards, as he looks to guide his team to a famous result at Anfield.
Leave a Reply