Premier League leaders Liverpool travel to newly-promoted Burnley in Sunday’s opening fixture, aiming to maintain their perfect start to the season.
Arne Slot’s men have won all three of their opening matches, including a key victory over Arsenal, while Burnley have shown resilience in adjusting to life back in the top flight.
Burnley vs Liverpool – Preview
The Clarets have had a mixed start to their return to the Premier League. After tough away trips to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, both ending in narrow defeats, Burnley managed a home victory over fellow promoted side Sunderland.
Historically, Burnley have struggled against top opposition, conceding heavily when facing reigning champions, they have lost 10 of their last 11 encounters, letting in 30 goals.
Burnley’s defensive record in the Championship last season was outstanding, with just 16 goals conceded in 46 games. However, in the first three Premier League matches, they have already allowed six goals. If they concede two or more against Liverpool, they will become just the second team in English football history to let in at least half of the previous season’s tally in their opening four games of the next campaign.
At home, Burnley remain unbeaten in their last 25 league matches, but they face their toughest test yet against the reigning champions, who have won eight of their last nine visits to Turf Moor, including the last six in a row.
The reigning champions remain the only team in the Premier League with a 100% record this season, having won all three of their opening matches, including a crucial victory over Arsenal. Arne Slot’s side are chasing a fourth straight win to start the campaign, a feat they have only achieved twice before, in 2018-19 and their title-winning 2019-20 season.
Liverpool are big favourites at Turf Moor, not just because of Burnley’s relative inexperience at this level, but also due to their strengthened attack following the £125m signing of Alexander Isak on transfer deadline day. The Reds have now scored in 37 consecutive Premier League matches, their best-ever streak, making it difficult to see any defence stopping them at present.
On recent trips to Turf Moor, Liverpool have been dominant, winning eight of their last nine visits, including the last six in a row. With Atletico Madrid and Everton visiting Anfield in the coming week, this fixture represents one of the easier challenges for Slot’s men, who will hope to continue their strong start to the season.
Burnley vs Liverpool – Team News
Burnley could soon welcome Jordan Beyer and Connor Roberts back from knee injuries, but this fixture may come too soon for both. Zeki Amdouni is out long-term with a serious knee injury. Hjalmar Ekdal should be fit after sustaining a minor knock while on international duty with Sweden.
Florentino Luis, Burnley’s only late addition in the transfer window on loan from Benfica, could make his debut in this game. Head coach Scott Parker said: “You’re playing against an elite, world-class team… We’re looking forward to it and we’ll give the best version of ourselves.”
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Liverpool’s team sheet at 12:45pm on Sunday to see whether Alexander Isak will make his full debut. The Swedish striker has only played 18 competitive minutes this season, coming off the bench for Sweden against Kosovo on Monday, so he is likely to start among the substitutes.
Arne Slot has confirmed he will manage Isak’s minutes carefully, saying: “Don’t expect him every single game 90 minutes on the pitch – that’s definitely not going to happen in the upcoming weeks. We have to build him up gradually.”
Ibrahima Konate is available after featuring for France during the international break. Jeremie Frimpong has returned to training but it’s unclear if he will be risked, though he could feature for some minutes. Curtis Jones will miss the game due to injury.
Head-to-Head & Previous Meetings
Liverpool have dominated recent meetings with Burnley, winning the last five encounters and keeping a clean sheet in each of their last four visits to Turf Moor. Overall, the two sides have faced each other 128 times in all competitions, with Liverpool claiming 61 victories, Burnley winning 38, and 29 matches ending in a draw.
Key Stats
- Liverpool have played Burnley 18 times in the Premier League. Liverpool have won 14 of those (plus 2D, 2L). Of the nine that were away at Turf Moor, Liverpool have won eight.
- Burnley started off with a decent record against reigning champions, winning four of their first seven such PL matches (D1 L2). Since then, though, they’ve lost 10 of their last 11, conceding 30 goals across those defeats.
- Only Arsenal (55) and Tottenham Hotspur (39) have scored in more consecutive Premier League matches than the run Liverpool are currently on (37).
- The last time Scott Parker faced Liverpool as manager, he led Bournemouth in a 9-0 loss in August 2022. He had, though, beaten Liverpool 1-0 in March 2021.
