Burnley and Sam Vokes catch Liverpool cold as Klopp’s men fire blanks

This was a fine way for Burnley to collect their first points of the season and a demoralising way for Liverpool to go down. Sean Dyche’s men were simply hungrier than the visiting team who lacked the requisite quality in front of goal. Burnley’s manager offered a telling criticism of his opponents.

“At times Liverpool had six men in midfield,” he said. “I think if I put six in midfield we’d probably keep the ball a long time. But we want to penetrate.” His side did and on this evidence Burnley have a fighting chance of staying up and Liverpool are destined for another frustrating campaign.

Jürgen Klopp used the correct term when despairing of the result. “We had absolutely no luck and everybody needs to be more clinical,” he said. “We have to accept it. Burnley deserved to win with a very passionate performance.

“We have to say it was not enough today. The lesson here is – don’t give the ball away like we did twice today. We will work on it 100%.”

Burnley had the dream start, which meant Liverpool’s was a nightmare. Two minutes in Nathaniel Clyne’s sloppy pass ceded possession to Andre Gray. He turned the ball to Sam Vokes and a swift swivel then emphatic 20-yard shot gave Simon Mignolet little chance.

This rocked Liverpool, who soon needed a last-ditch Dejan Lovren intervention to avoid going two behind. This time Gray raced clear and at the Liverpool goalkeeper. As the No7 went to pull the trigger in dived Lovren to take the ball cleanly and the danger was gone.

The wild conditions swirling round Turf Moor were being matched by the up-and-at-’em approach of Dyche’s team. Each time Burnley poured forward their fans roared them on and to Liverpool’s credit they attempted to gain the foothold that would stymie the onslaught.

Their end-product when nearing Tom Heaton’s goal was deficient, however. Twice Philippe Coutinho was wasteful. The Clarets could again charge at the neon-green shirts with Gray often hit early with a long pass.

Dean Marney, partnering Burnley’s record signing, Steven Defour, in midfield, led the press whenever he could. Jordan Henderson was left embarrassed when Marney mugged him near his area and Adam Lallana blushed when he later fell over in possession.

Defour was the single change from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat here by Swansea City as the £7.5m man replaced David Jones, who is now at Sheffield Wednesday.

As Jones was the sole difference from the XI that ended last season – for Joey Barton – Dyche is beginning a second term leading Burnley in the top flight by showing faith in those who won promotion from the Championship.

For Klopp, his main moves from last Sunday’s 4-3 win at Arsenal were to drop the beleaguered Alberto Moreno for James Milner at left-back and select Daniel Sturridge for the injured Sadio Mané.

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From a short corner taken by Coutinho Lallana took aim but failed to finish. Then Milner and Sturridge linked along the left before switching play right and the move fizzled out.

Later Coutinho sprayed a regulation pass beyond Milner and out. It was a microcosm of where Liverpool were failing; their edge was blunt, rather than cutting.

Gray then struck to send the ground into raptures and Liverpool staring at a 2-0 half-time deficit. Ragnar Klavan lost the ball near halfway, Defour skipped forward, passed right to Gray and, after he cut inside, the finish was as sweet as Vokes’s. This had the faithful singing: “We love you Burnley.” It had Klopp standing stony-faced. And it meant his team needed to show considerable backbone if they were to engineer the comeback.

If, during the break, Klopp sternly informed his charges to be more ruthless, that would have been no surprise.

After the interval Liverpool’s slickest move thus far came when Sturridge danced inside and spread panic in Burnley’s area. A further warning that the visitors were finally sparking came when Heaton had to save sharply Roberto Firmino’s 20-yard attempt to the keeper’s left.

This ascendancy was the tale of Liverpool’s second half. A further scare came when Heaton misjudged a Milner corner from the left before the keeper scrambled to tip it behind.

To turn this superiority into goals Klopp replaced Sturridge with Divock Origi on 63 minutes. Yet Liverpool still disappointed while dominating.

It is early days but these are the games any team with the title-winning pretensions Klopp is voicing have to win.