Job done. Liverpool came into this week’s match against Burnley knowing the task at hand. And they withstood an early charge from an aggressive Burnley in order to take control of the match, winning 3-0 at Turf Moor behind goals from Roberto Firmino, Nathaniel Phillips, and substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
It was a professional performance from Liverpool, who faced a very game Burnley in front of their fans. But the Reds would not be denied three more points in their battle for a top-four place after seeing an opening when Leiceister City fell to Chelsea on Tuesday night.
Here are the player ratings from the 3-0 victory on Matchday 37 of the Premier League.
GK Alisson
Alisson was the hero over the weekend against West Brom and turned in another high-quality performance against Burnley. Aside from one specific play in which he should have charged out of the goal to meet Chris Wood, Alisson was excellent. He commanded his box well and made a couple of smart stops.
Rating: 7.0
LB Andrew Robertson
Andrew Robertson may have been the Man of the Match for Liverpool. The Scottish left back was fantastic on Wednesday night, creating clear-cut chances throughout the match and making smart movements defensively. Robertson had free license up the left flank and used it well, assisting Roberto Firmino’s opener with a brilliant cutback. His passing was exquisite, as per usual, and he would end the match with a double of assists. Per WhoScored.com, he had four key passes and two dribbles completed.
Rating: 8.0
CB Rhys Williams
As you’d expect, Rhys Williams was the weak link defensively that Chris Wood targeted, but his issues are simply down to a lack of experience. He’ll get caught out by taking a bad step towards a long ball and won’t get the right position on the striker, though Williams did so well to keep his head up and recover pretty much every time. In all, you have to say it was a decent performance from Williams, who cleared his lines well and helped Liverpool keep a clean sheet.
Rating: 6.0
CB Nathaniel Phillips
Quietly, Nat Phillips is producing some strong defensive performances at the heart of the Liverpool defense. He scored his first goal, taking Sadio Mane’s cross well with his head. Phillips fought hard and looked competent defensively. Like his center back partner, Phillips had a healthy dose of clearances and a pair of blocked shots to go with three tackles.
Rating: 7.5
RB Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold didn’t create any goals on Wednesday night at Turf Moor, but he kept up his streak of strong performances with a more defensive display. TAA continues to remind critics that he’s better defensively than they think. He had three tackles, four interceptions, and four clearances in the clean sheet victory.
Rating: 7.0