If Liverpool are to go on and win the Premier League title this season, they will need to bounce back quickly from their costly defeat at Arsenal last weekend.
The leaders play host to Burnley in a rare 3pm Saturday afternoon kick-off for the Reds, who start the weekend no fewer than 38 points ahead of their opponents.
Much of the post-match communication about Liverpool’s defeat last week at the Emirates Stadium focused on Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk after a calamitous mix-up between the two led to Arsenal taking the lead Gabriel Martinelli.
None of Klopp’s veteran players covered themselves in glory in stoppage time when Leandro Trossard fired the final goal past van Dijk and through the Brazilian goalkeeper’s legs.
But manager Jurgen Klopp was unsurprisingly quick to protect two players who have been real pillars for him in the Liverpool dressing room in recent seasons in his post-match comments to the BBC.
“Growing more into the game, second half, we had our moments and then we concede that goal. That doesn’t help. It just shows the boys are human beings. Today we were really human.”
And that was a point that Klopp was keen to later reaffirm to the club’s official website: “Our two main guns, a misunderstanding, that just shows they are human beings. That actually makes the thing they usually do even more special because sometimes you forget they are humans as well.”
Despite the high-profile blunder, it looks like the Reds manager is keen to ensure that two of his most trusted players rectify their mistakes in the coming weeks, starting with keeping a blank sheet on Burnley’s scale at the weekend.
With Mohamed Salah still out injured, Jurgen Klopp will most likely once again turn to in-form Diogo Jota to propel Liverpool to 3 extra points.
Ibrahima Konate will miss out through suspension following his red card at Arsenal, while the Reds are expected to give Dominik Szoboszlai a delayed fitness test.
Connor Bradley is set to return to the Liverpool squad after missing the defeat at the Emirates following the death of his father.
Hjalmar Ekdal and David Fofana played a role in the 2-2 draw against Fulham and are expected to start with Burnley.
Andy Robertson warns his Liverpool teammates to ‘be ready’ for one thing against Burnley this weekend
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