Can nets Liverpool match-winner

Juergen Klopp’s side were again out of sorts but he was pleased with the way they won “ugly” to earn their first back-to-back league wins this year and keep up the pressure on the league’s leading trio.

While nowhere near their scintillating best, typifying the Merseysiders’ uneven form of 2017, Liverpool displayed real character to strike back after going behind to an Ashley Barnes goal after seven minutes. 

With the league’s worst travellers Burnley dreaming of their first away win of the season, the out-of-sorts Reds were grateful to equalise just before halftime through their first shot on target from Georginio Wijnaldum.

Liverpool looked short of ideas before German international Can produced what Klopp called a “wonderful” goal from seemingly nowhere just after the hour mark, bending his low 25-metre strike into the bottom corner past a despairing Tom Heaton.

The victory gives Liverpool 55 points, a point behind second-placed Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in third and 11 adrift of leaders Chelsea. 

The top three all have a game in hand over the Reds, who now lead fifth-placed Arsenal by five points albeit having played two games more than Arsene Wenger’s side.