With eight goals in three league games heading into this one, Liverpool hadn’t struggled for goals this season. Their newest attacking recruit, Alexander Isak, was missing from the matchday squad, but that shouldn’t have been a factor in what turned out to be a difficult first half for the Reds.
Burnley defended resolutely and possessed some attacking threat of their own, with Jaidon Anthony firing an early warning shot over the bar after a quick transition.
The home crowd were incredibly vocal, voicing their displeasure when referee Michael Oliver allowed Alexis Mac Allister to remain on the pitch, having gone down injured for an extended period.
The Turf Moor support was enraged further when Milos Kerkez attempted to win a penalty with a comical dive, yet they were somewhat appeased as he was deservedly booked and later hauled off with 38 minutes played, marking the first time in his Premier League career that Arne Slot has made a tactical substitution before half-time.
That summed up Liverpool’s first-half performance, with fanciful solo efforts from Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike barely troubling Martin Dubravka.
Liverpool showed renewed intent after the restart, coming close through Ryan Gravenberch’s venomous volley, shortly before a pair of substitutes combined, with Conor Bradley darting into the box to head Andrew Robertson’s deep cross narrowly wide via a deflection.
Burnley hadn’t lost a competitive home match since May 2024 (W16, D9), but they were increasingly under pressure as Florian Wirtz slotted wide and Dominik Szoboszlai forced a save from range.
A more purposeful second-half display from the visitors saw the pattern of play remain unchanged heading into the final stages of the game, yet a resolute Clarets rearguard kept Liverpool at bay, restricting them to few clear-cut chances.
Just as it looked as if Burnley were going to make it over the line, a handball from Hannibal Mejbri in the area handed Liverpool the chance to convert from the spot.
As is typical, Salah made no mistake from 12 yards to send the away faithful into raptures and seal a late victory for the Reds.
Despite a creditable performance, Burnley have now lost 15 of their 19 Premier League head-to-heads, leaving them with three defeats from four games back in the top flight.
As for Liverpool, another win sees them retake their place at the top of the league table, three points clear at this early stage of the campaign.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley)
