Final Thoughts as Mo Salah Penalty Secures Three Points for Liverpool Against Burnley | OneFootball

Burnley 0 – 1 Liverpool – Premier League Postmortem

With Liverpool looking to maintain their perfect start to the season after the international break, a trip to Turf Moor was always likely to be a test of patience more than anything else. Burnley, as expected, parked themselves into a rigid low block, challenging Arne Slot’s men to find a way through. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t fluid, but it was effective – and thanks to a last-gasp Mohamed Salah penalty, the champions walked away with three points that may prove priceless in the months ahead.

The Starting Eleven

Liverpool XI:

• GK – Alisson Becker

• RB – Dominik Szoboszlai

• CB – Ibrahima Konaté

• CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

• LB – Milos Kerkez

• CM – Alexis Mac Allister

• CM – Ryan Gravenberch

• CM – Florian Wirtz

• RW – Mohamed Salah

• CF – Hugo Ekitike

• LW – Cody Gakpo

Substitutes

• Andy Robertson ↔ Milos Kerkez (38’)

• Conor Bradley ↔ Alexis Mac Allister (61’)

• Federico Chiesa ↔ Hugo Ekitike (72’)

• Jeremie Frimpong ↔ Florian Wirtz (87’)

• Rio Ngumoha ↔ Ibrahima Konaté (87’)

Goals (Assisted by):

• Liverpool 1-0 Burnley – Mohamed Salah (Penalty) – 90+4’

Match Statistics

• Possession – Burnley 19% | Liverpool 81%

• XG – Burnley 0.13 | Liverpool 2.45

• Total Shots – Burnley 3 | Liverpool 27

• Fouls – Burnley 9 | Liverpool 9

• Corners – Burnley 1 | Liverpool 13

• Saves – Burnley 3 | Liverpool 1

First Half

An expectant Turf Moor crowd did their part, roaring Burnley through the opening exchanges, but it was one-way traffic from the outset. Liverpool controlled 80% of the ball, pressed their opponents deep, and shifted play with relative ease – yet lacked penetration where it mattered most. The game state was set and the waiting game commenced.

Kerkez’s early booking for simulation didn’t help matters, as Slot was forced into an early reshuffle by introducing Andy Robertson. A double-marking setup largely smothered Salah, Wirtz struggled to escape the clutches of Burnley’s midfield trio, and Ekitike looked isolated in central zones as he continued his understanding of a new league.

The clearest opening came from Szoboszlai, whose thunderous strike from distance demanded a brilliant save. Otherwise, it was a half of sterile dominance: Liverpool dominant, Burnley defiant, and the game still scoreless at the interval.

Second Half

As the game developed, Liverpool began to dictate possession with even greater control. Gravenberch, my man of the match, came into his own after the break, dictating tempo with smart recycling, clever ball carries, and positional awareness that allowed Szoboszlai to roam further forward. Alexis Mac Allister had been relieved of duties at halftime, with a ferocious challenge on him early on in the game seeing him protected from further injury.

The introduction of Bradley offered fresh legs at right-back, while Chiesa’s entry was designed to stretch Burnley’s back line. Still, Liverpool found themselves hitting a wall of bodies every time they neared the final third.

It took the bravery of Slot’s late substitutions to tilt the balance. Ngumoha, just 17, showed urgency and directness in the closing stages, while Frimpong’s hopeful cross into the box finally unsettled Burnley and brought about a handball. The penalty, ferociously dispatched by Salah deep into stoppage time, was the reward for relentless pressure. Turf Moor groaned in despair, while the travelling Reds roared in delight.

Final Thoughts

Liverpool’s title defence ambitions will not be defined by glamour alone. Days like this – ugly, grinding, and attritional – are the foundations of champions. Burnley may have had 19% possession and offered next to nothing in attack, but their structure demanded patience and was always the likely scenario to overcome.

The standout performer was Gravenberch, who delivered his best Liverpool display this season to date. His control, composure, and ability to recycle under pressure were critical in ensuring Burnley were never able to escape their own half. With Szoboszlai thriving in his hybrid role and Van Dijk once again imperious, the framework of Slot’s Liverpool is solidifying.

It wasn’t the 0-2 I predicted, but in the end, the one-goal margin mattered far less than the three points. Slot will know improvements are needed in the final third, but as the Reds head into a congested September schedule, this victory feels significant.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction: Burnley 0 – 2 Liverpool

Full-Time Result: Burnley 0 – 1 Liverpool