Burnley vs. Liverpool: Score, Grades and Reaction from Premier League Game

It wasn't the prettiest of matches from Liverpool's perspective, but the Reds came away with their desired result Friday as they defeated Burnley 1-0 on the road at Turf Moor.

The Clarets were the better squad for much of the first half and parts of the second but couldn't solve the Liverpool goalkeepers.

Raheem Sterling's goal in the 62nd minute proved to be the difference as he continued his hot streak, according to OptaJoe:

Here is a full rundown of how the Reds managed to clip Burnley in what was a tightly contested affair on Boxing Day.

Recap

While both sides used the opening minutes to feel each other out, things started to get interesting in the 14th minute when Burnley began to apply some pressure.

The Clarets very nearly grabbed an early lead by virtue of a cracking shot from forward Danny Ings, but it clanged off the post.

While goalkeeper Brad Jones was able to avoid disaster in the form of a goal, he wasn't so lucky physically, as he left the match in the 16th minute in favor of Simon Mignolet:

Per Ian Doyle of The Liverpool Echo, Jones appeared to injure himself on his reaction to Ings' shot:

When he left the pitch, Doyle reported that the 32-year-old goalkeeper looked to be favoring his thigh:

Mignolet had recently been displaced by Jones as Liverpool's starting keeper, but manager Brendan Rodgers insisted that the Belgian backup has responded well since the benching, according to The Independent:

"

Simon's response has been fantastic. 

People would think coming out of the team would have a negative effect but he has been outstanding and his training has been good and we're analyzing where he can improve. 

That time coming out of the team sometimes gives you that reflective period that you don't have when you're in the thick of it and it can benefit you. 

I've seen a real positive reaction from him. John (Achterberg), who's our excellent goalkeeping coach, and myself sit down with him, study his game and look at the areas we feel the improvements can be made. 

Hopefully when he returns he'll have gained from that time out and becomes a better keeper for it.

"

The change in goal certainly didn't spark the Reds by any means, though, as Burnley continued to dominate throughout the first half.

Burnley was statistically superior with 51 percent of the possession and nine shots compared to just four for Liverpool through 45 minutes, per Squawka Football:

According to Adam Crafton of the Daily Mail, the Clarets gave the Reds everything they could handle during the first half:

"

Burnley swarming over Liverpool. Mignolet flapped at two crosses. Home side every bit as vibrant as the visitors anaemic...

— Adam Crafton (@AdamCrafton_) December 26, 2014"

With that said, Liverpool were lucky enough to escape without allowing a goal, per Dominic King of the Daily Mail:

Although the Clarets continued to look the more dangerous side early in the second half, their inability to put the ball in the back of the net would eventually come back to haunt them.

Despite the Reds' struggles this season, they are a supremely talented team from an attacking perspective, which was apparent when they took the lead in the 62nd minute.

Sterling beat Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton to put Liverpool ahead 1-0 even though there had been no previous signs of a breakthrough, according to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo:

The goal was a gorgeous one, as Philippe Coutinho played a perfect ball over the top which allowed Sterling to make one move on Heaton before sliding it into an open net.

While Coutinho was largely responsible for the marker, Sterling's goal continued his trend of dominating Liverpool's scoring production, per Squawka Football:

That goal certainly seemed to energize the Reds, as they were much better over the final 30 minutes than they had been previously.

They carried the play down the stretch, and Burnley were never able to mount any high-quality scoring chances late, which allowed Liverpool to nab three points.

Grades

Starting XI	Grade
Substitutes	Grade
Tom Heaton	B-
Kieran Trippier	C+
Jason Shackell	B+
Benjamin Mee	C
Michael Keane	C+
Dean Marney	B+
David Jones (83')	C+
George Boyd	B-
Scott Arfield	C
Danny Ings	B
Ashley Barnes (80')	C
Sam Vokes (80')	C
Ross Wallace (83')	C

Starting XI	Grade
Substitutes	Grade
Brad Jones (16')	D
Kolo Toure (45')	B
Mamadou Sakho	B+
Martin Skrtel	A-
Steven Gerrard	B+
Jordan Henderson	C+
Lucas	B-
Lazar Markovic	C+
Philippe Coutinho (73')	A-
Adam Lallana	C+
Raheem Sterling	A-
Simon Mignolet (16')	B
Emre Can (45')	B-
Rickie Lambert (73')	C

Reaction

Friday's match was a microcosm of Liverpool's season in many ways.

They didn't look engaged for much of the contest, which is something that has cost them on several occasions. The Reds are capable of making some remarkable plays, though, and Coutinho's pass to Sterling allowed them to escape with a road victory.

Liverpool managed to leapfrog Newcastle United for ninth place with the win as the Magpies fell to Manchester United. The Reds are also now just six points out of a top-five position following West Ham United's loss to Chelsea.

It is unlikely that Liverpool will ascend to that position if they continue to play like they did for much of Friday's match, but they are the type of club that can potentially snap out of it at any moment and go on a run.

Burnley were overmatched from a talent perspective against Liverpool, but it never showed, as they were the better team for most of the tilt.

The Clarets are certainly hurt by the loss, though, as it keeps them in position to be relegated. There is still plenty of time to turn that around, however, and Burnley have a chance to do that if they turn in more efforts like the one they displayed on Boxing Day.

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