Fabinho strike earns Liverpool battling win at Burnley

Brazilian Fabinho’s first-half goal earned Liverpool a 1-0 win at Burnley on Sunday, as Juergen Klopp’s side closed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City to nine points.

The hosts initially coped better with the awful Lancashire conditions, creating more chances than Liverpool, only for their wastefulness to prove costly as midfielder Fabinho bundled in what proved to be the winner five minutes before the break.

Chasing a goal that would have earned Burnley their fourth successive draw, they pumped plenty of long balls forward and crosses into the box in the second half but failed to create a clear-cut chance.

Liverpool dug in defensively, with goalkeeper Alisson standing firm when called upon, to see out a sixth successive win in all competitions.

Victory moved Liverpool on to 54 points from 24 matches and if they win their game in hand on City, the gap at the top would be just six points.

Burnley will see this as a missed opportunity and remain rooted to the bottom of the table, seven points from safety, but having played two fewer games than Newcastle United in 17th place.

“It is always hard to play here,” Fabinho said. “Burnley is a tough place to come. Sometimes we forget to play football a little bit because we want to fight for the second balls, but when we had the ball on the ground we created chances.

“We didn’t score the second goal but defensively the team was very good today. A nice three points.”

Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane made their first starts since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in the driving rain, but could only look on as Burnley started on the front foot.

The first effort at goal was from Burnley after Josh Brownhill’s fierce strike was tipped wide by goalkeeper Alisson at full stretch.

It took Liverpool until the 21st minute to test home stopper Nick Pope, with Naby Keita denied low to the keeper’s right before, down the other end, Burnley’s January signing Wout Weghorst should have done better when through on goal.

The home side remained on top and soon forced Alisson into another save, the Brazilian smothering at the feet of Jay Rodriguez.

The chances were coming thick and fast, with Mane then immediately firing straight at Pope from a free kick before Weghorst should have hit the target from a good position for Burnley.

Burnley were left to rue their profligacy when Mane flicked on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner to Fabinho, who squeezed the ball over the line at the second attempt — the Brazilian’s fifth goal in all competitions since the turn of the year.

It was a matter of just holding on for Klopp’s side given the conditions and determination of Burnley after the break.

Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier scored for the second successive game as Eddie Howe’s side earned a 1-0 win over Aston Villa at home.

The win moved 17th-placed Newcastle four points clear of the relegation zone, with 21 points from 23 games. Villa are six points ahead in 11th place.

Newcastle had a penalty overturned by VAR in the 33rd minute when a Calum Chambers foul on Joe Willock was deemed to have taken place outside the box, but Trippier blasted the resultant free kick through the Villa wall to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Tottenham Hotspur sank to a third successive Premier League defeat as first-half goals by Raul Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker gave Wolverhampton Wanderers a 2-0 away win to put them into seventh place.

After losing 3-2 at home to Southampton in midweek, Tottenham desperately needed a response to boost their top-four ambitions, but defensive errors cost them dearly.

Jimenez volleyed in after six minutes following a panicky punched clearance by Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris and the Frenchman hardly covered himself in glory when Dendoncker doubled Wolves’ lead 12 minutes later.

Lloris redeemed himself a little to prevent Wolves adding to their advantage before the break but Tottenham left the pitch at halftime to boos on a rain-sodden north London afternoon.

Tottenham improved in the second half but the closest they came was a deflected Harry Winks shot against the post. 

Reuters