Liverpool vs Burnley: Preview, Team News, and Ways to Watch

Liverpool vs Burnley

| Sunday, March 10, 2019 |
Premier League | Anfield |
12PM GMT/8AM EST

Wake up! Tomorrow is the first day of Daylight Savings Time for half the world, so the Reds will be playing at already early game even earlier this week for folks on my side of the globe. Don’t want to miss Liverpool battling it out with...[checks notes] Burnley. Oh.

The last time Liverpool came up against the mighty Clarets was back in early December at Turf Moor. Liverpool beat them 3-1 that day, but after the game, it was clear that manager Sean Dyche was not pleased with Jürgen Klopp’s anger over Burnley’s strong and irresponsible tackling. In retrospect, not the worst gripe for the Liverpool manager to have, considering that Joe Gomez, who was taken off on a stretcher that day, is still on the injury list today.

Dejan Lovren is set for a return from injury. The Croatian will be a welcome addition to a tiring squad, though whether we’ll see him on the bench or in the starting XI is an open question. For all that Liverpool have been finding it difficult to score recently — the Watford drubbing notwithstanding — it hasn’t been the fault of the defense, who have kept four consecutive clean sheets. They also, collectively, scored two of those five Watford goals and assisted all of them. So it’s likely that we’ll see Klopp keep his current back line again tomorrow, instead of risking Lovren.

The Clarets are in a battle for their Premier League lives. Currently in 16th place, Burnley desperately need a result when they come to Anfield tomorrow. And since Liverpool have made that an extremely difficult thing to do, expect some more injudicious tackling as they fight for a draw against the Reds.

Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Shaqiri; Salah, Firmino, Mané

Throwing in a bit of a change-up with Shaqiri in my predicted starting XI, but this seems like the kind of game where he can shine. Could well be Wijnaldum or Keïta in that midfield role instead. It might also be one of them ahead of Henderson, though the captain has been a bright spot in the squad for the last few weeks and particularly against Everton.

As stated earlier, Klopp likely maintains the back line he’s been using lately. Firmino is ready to return to lead the attack, and hopefully his recovery time has served him well. Would do everyone good to see Firmino score a few tomorrow.

Lovren and James Milner remain doubts for this game, while Gomez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are still out of commission.

For Burnley, Aaron Lennon and Steven Defour are both out.

What the Managers Had to Say

Jürgen Klopp: “We are trying for the first time [for the title] and for the first time we are not in a bad position. Let’s do what we did that brought us here plus more intensity if possible, with a positive atmosphere around us, and not be this little weak flower. If there is a chance for us with winning all our games, getting as many points as possible, then we will be there. The target is to win the game, not to go nuts in the game.””

Sean Dyche: “I am certainly not going to question any manager’s view on how tough it is. I don’t think that [Liverpool] will be worried about the weather [on Sunday], I think they will be trying to get on with the game and winning the game, as we will. [The weather] is the same [for both sides] but you ask enough questions for us to answer enough times, so people give a view on whatever situation they are asked about.”

The Officials

Referee: Andre Marriner Assistants: Scott Ledger, Richard West Fourth official: Mike Dean

Kickoff is set for 12PM GMT/8AM EST tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on LiveSoccerTV. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it’s released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.