Jurgen Klopp praises Liverpool for dodging Burnley ‘banana skin’ as Fabinho goal gives visitors victory | Football News

Jurgen Klopp saluted the efforts of his Liverpool players after they dodged a “banana skin” at Burnley to maintain their pursuit of Manchester City.

With rain seemingly blowing around Turf Moor in three different directions at the same time, the conditions seemed ideal for an upset – one Jurgen Klopp’s side could ill afford as they started the game 12 points off the leaders.

Klopp started Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino together in attack for the first time since October, but the Reds’ new-found goalscoring midfielder proved the difference.

Five minutes before the break, Fabinho’s fifth in eight matches helped Liverpool overcome a spirited Burnley and the adverse conditions, to cut City’s lead at the top to nine points – a lead which can be reduced to six points if Liverpool win their game in hand.

“It was a perfect afternoon,” Klopp said after Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Turf Moor.

“Rainy, windy, men’s football. Everything here today was set up for a banana skin for us. We were ready for it; we scored a goal from a set piece which was brilliant.

“We didn’t have to do a lot, to be honest, because each ball in the air was tricky to defend, the wind came from all directions. We played the circumstances instead of suffering, I’m really happy about it.”

Victory handed Liverpool three points for the fourth successive Premier League match – sixth in all competitions.

Asked whether he agreed there was a good feeling within his squad, Klopp replied: “There is, why shouldn’t there be? We like each other, we respect each other and when we win football games it is good.

“What I like most was how hard we worked for it. This is a game where I told the boys that if we came here and played football we better stay in the hotel. We had to worked incredibly hard and that is what the boys did.

“I know how difficult it is to come here, especially today, and I’m absolutely satisfied with what the boys did.”

On match-winner Fabinho, Klopp admitted the Brazilian would have scored more goals in his career had he been afforded more opportunities to do so.

No Liverpool player has scored more goals since the turn of the year, an upturn Klopp said was partly down to a change in tactics.

“He would have probably scored more goals for Liverpool if I would have put him in the box around offensive set-pieces,” Klopp added. “Only recently we put him in and he scores, a great goal.

“The space where the ball came to Sadio was the plan but not at that height, so Sadio made absolutely the most of it – great header, great deflection, timing is perfect and Fab is there to score a counter-pressing goal in the six-yard box.”

What’s next?

Liverpool travel to Inter Milan for their Champions League last-16 first leg on Wednesday at 8pm, before hosting Norwich in the Premier League on Saturday at 3pm.