Virgil van Dijk pinpoints the 'key' to Liverpool beating Burnley after 'world-class' Mo Salah penalty
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Liverpool needed a bit of luck to beat Burnley at Turf Moor after their dismal performance.
The Reds were not up to speed in this game following the international break, but a handball in the box by Hannibal Mejbri in added time led to a Mohamed Salah penalty to secure another win for last season’s Premier League champions.
A performance which saw a very lacklustre first half ended with an early substitution as Milos Kerkez was taken off after being booked for a dive in the penalty area and a last man foul, which could easily have seen a second yellow for the Hungarian.
There was not much to write home about in the second half, with a few chances that were kept out by Burnley’s low block as the home side kept 11 men behind the ball for the majority of the game.
They were just not able to maintain their defensive soundness with a second yellow card for Lesley Ugochukwu, who fouled Florian Wirtz outside the box, which preceded a frantic final few minutes, which saw the Merseyside club snatch a victory.
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It was not your typical performance, but it seems the slotting home of late winners is now becoming the new normal, with the usual calmness instilled by Arne Slot replaced with a more smash-and-grab approach out of desperation.
Slot may want his side to be more convincing and more energetic, but with a 100% record now under their belts, he won’t mind this style of play as long as it keeps producing results.
Although the difficulties did not just come from his team’s fitness but also the compactness of their opposition, who took a similar approach to the Arsenal side, who were unable to keep out a Dominic Szoboszlai stunner.
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But the captain, Virgil van Dijk, was happy in the end with his team’s performance against a side who never seemed to lose their shape.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “Mo is a world-class player and we know he can deliver and step up in these moments as he has done so many times.
“But today it was key to not get frustrated, keep trying and find the space in between the lines to create opportunities.
A well-deserved win, it could have been a draw.”
Van Dijk also gave credit to the opposition, who did their job as well as they could have for a newly promoted team against the previous league title winners.
He explained: “We obviously try to break teams down.
We had to be patient and be ready whenever we lost the ball that we’re ready to defend the counters.
“We kept looking for the goal and for the opportunities.
But it was a penalty, and Mo slotted it perfectly.”
They now move on to a Champions League game against Atletico Madrid at Anfield before returning to action in the league in the Merseyside Derby against Everton.