Liverpool beat Burnley to crack Premier League top 4
Sports Desk, May 19 (EFE).- Liverpool returned to the top four in the Premier League on Wednesday for the first time since February with a 3-0 away victory against Burnley.
The Reds are on 66 points, the same as fifth-place Leicester City, but Jürgen Klopp’s men have a goal difference of +24, compared with +20 for the Foxes.
While Liverpool will host 13th-place Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday, Leicester must contend with a Tottenham Hotspur side who are still contending for a spot in Europe next season.
Safe from regulation and with nothing at stake, the Clarets produced a good performance at Turf Moor and the contest was closer than the score would indicate.
The visitors had 59 percent possession, yet Burnley put four shots on target to Liverpool’s three.
The Reds’ Alisson was the first of the goalkeepers to be tested, batting away a shot by Dwight McNeil in the 39th minute.
Nathaniel Phillips fired over the cross-bar on a chance for Liverpool in the 41st and it looked as if the teams might go to the break knotted 0-0 until Roberto Firmino caught up with an Andrew Robertson cross and scored to give the visitors the edge two minutes before half-time.
Alisson had to be sharp in the opening seconds of the second half to deal with a strike from Chris Wood.
The Clarets struggled on a corner in the 52nd minute and Phillips got his head to Sadio Mane’s ball into the box to put Liverpool up 2-0.
Phillips stopped Burnley from clawing back a goal with 20 minutes left, making a goal-line stop after Ben Mee’s shot sailed over Alisson.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who came on in the final 10 minutes for Firmino, settled the contest with a goal in the 88th minute.
West Ham United, the Cinderella side of the 2020-2021 Premier League season, defeated relegated West Bromwich Albion 3-1 on Wednesday and look to have assured themselves of finishing no lower than sixth place. EFE msg/dr
