Liverpool: 3 Burnley players who could give the Reds trouble

Liverpool managed to eke out a vital victory over West Brom this weekend at The Hawthorns, courtesy of a dream-like goal from goalkeeper Alisson at the very last possible minute. But it doesn’t matter how close the result was. All that matters is the Reds kept their top-four hopes alive by getting the full three points.

The Reds now face another stingy side in Burnley. At home, expect the Clarets to make life extremely difficult for a Premier League powerhouse.

Here are three Burnley players for Kopites to keep a close eye on this Wednesday night at Turf Moor.

CB James Tarkowski

Any conversation about Burnley has to start with James Tarkowski, who is one of the best central defenders in the Premier League. The tough 28-year-old qualifies as a star player for the Clarets and will look to frustrate Liverpool’s star-studded attack whenever they are on the ball.

Tarkowski is averaging 1.8 tackles per game and 1.3 interceptions per game, according to WhoScored.com. The England international is also averaging a whopping 4.5 clearances per game and 1.1 blocks per game. Whenever there is any sense of danger, Tarkowski is always there to clean up, and he is not afraid to put his body on the line for the Clarets’ cause.

LM Dwight McNeil

We then move over to an attacking player in Dwight McNeil. And when we bring up McNeil, we have to bring up this delightful goal he scored against the Toffees.

McNeil is having a good season for Burnley and has arguably outshined top scorer Chris Wood. The 21-year-old has a very bright future ahead of him in the Premier League, as he is the Clarets’ leader with 1.7 dribbles completed per game. McNeil also has five assists and 1.3 key passes per game.

Look for McNeil to get forward and provide plenty of service to Wood. He is a danger man to watch on Burnley on the left-hand side of their formation.

CB Ben Mee

I feel bad for not spotlighting Chris Wood, who has been a consistent source of goals for Burnley, but I did discuss him as an important player to shut down in Liverpool’s keys to victory on Matchday 37.

So instead, I’ll look at the other center back next to James Tarkowski, Ben Mee. He is an accomplished PL player in his own right, having just made his 350th appearance for the Clarets. He has become such an inspirational figure to this team and is another center back who knows how to sniff out danger and play physical.

Together, Mee and Tarkowski are very capable of keeping a Liverpool side with finishing issues off the scoresheet. Mee lives for these games as a leader, and his excellence in the second half of the season has been a boon to Burnley’s survival. They are now 15th in the table, and Mee is having a fine season for them. He is always a player to respect when the Reds face the Clarets.