Liverpool travel to Turf Moor on Sunday afternoon as they look to extend their 100% record in the English top-flight this season and go back to the top of the table.
By Sam McGuire
The story so far
The Premier League champions haven’t been at their best so far this season but they’ve managed to eke out wins over Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Arsenal. The Reds were the top scorers in the league after three match days and have just added Alexander Isak to their ranks following a summer long pursuit.
Isak isn’t going to start against Burnley on Sunday having not had much of a pre-season, but he could give the Reds a much needed boost off of the bench. In the three games prior to the international break, Federico Chiesa has finished the game as the centre-forward with Hugo Ekitike replaced. It’s been far from ideal.
Burnley, meanwhile, have three points from their three matches back in the top tier. They claimed a 2-0 win over Sunderland at Turf Moor and pushed Manchester United all the way at Old Trafford in the game before the international break, losing 3-2.
This game is essentially a free hit for the Clarets. Few expect them to do anything against the champions so picking up a point here would be a bonus.
Recent form
The Reds are three from three in the Premier League. They’ve scored eight goals and conceded four. Despite it not clicking just yet for a much changed Liverpool team, they’ve still been dangerous. And their class has shown in the final third with a series of ruthless displays.
Burnley, on the other hand, have struggled, as many expected. They were dismantled by Spurs on opening day, losing 3-0. And despite putting in a good showing against Manchester United, they gave up chances with an Expected Goals total of 3.63 at Old Trafford. They have the worst defence in the Premier League with an xG Against total of 6.7. If these defensive showings continue, it could be a disaster against the Reds.
Key Players
For Liverpool, the key player is going to be Ekitike. The recently capped France international scored in three successive games for the Reds before blanking against Arsenal. He’s going to start for Arne Slot’s side though with Isak not fully match fit. It makes him invaluable to the champions right now.
He’s been an integral part of their new-look attack and he’s going to fancy his chances against a leaky Burnley defence too.
For the hosts, the difference-maker could well be Jaidon Anthony. The versatile attacker has two goals and an assist in his three appearances this term. He’s also the highest rated FotMob player for the Clarets with an average rating of 7.28.
Team News
Burnley are expected to be without Axel Tuanzebe, Connor Roberts and Jordan Beyer while Zeki Amdouni will definitely miss the clash with the champions. Liverpool should be without Jeremie Frimpong after a hamstring injury while Stefan Bajčetić won’t be available for the trip to Turf Moor.
Other than that, Slot has a full squad available to him. A big selection headache for the Dutchman will be what he does at right-back. Conor Bradley is back fit but Dominik Szoboszlai has been in unbelievable form for the Reds.
Prediction
We’re going to go with a 3-1 win for the visitors. The Reds just have too much quality not to take maximum points off a team tipped by many to be relegated. This should be a formality if they have hopes of retaining the title.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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