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BURNLEY, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Andre Gray of Burnley celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Burnley and Liverpool at Turf Moor on August 20, 2016 in Burnley, England.  (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
BURNLEY, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Andre Gray of Burnley celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Burnley and Liverpool at Turf Moor on August 20, 2016 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Burnley vs. Liverpool: Score and Reaction from 2016 EPL Match

James DudkoAug 20, 2016

Sam Vokes and Andre Gray took advantage of defensive mistakes to score two first-half goals as Burnley beat Liverpool 2-0 at Turf Moor in the Premier League on Saturday.

Burnley's striking double act gave them a commanding lead at the break against a mistake-prone Liverpool, who couldn't claw back the deficit despite dominating possession.

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp made a couple of changes to the team that won 4-3 at Arsenal last week. Striker Daniel Sturridge came in for injured Sadio Mane and James Milner replaced struggling left-back Alberto Moreno, per the club's official Twitter account:

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Meanwhile, Burnley relied on the prolific pair that fired them out of the Championship last season. They also included record-buy midfielder Steven Defour, per the club:

It took less than two minutes for Vokes to strike when he pounced on the first of many costly mistakes among the Liverpool defence. Confusion between Ragnar Klavan and Nathaniel Clyne let Vokes in, and he shot smartly and decisively on the turn.

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo described how the calamity at the back had unfolded:

Liverpool were rattled, but Vokes was pleased to achieve his own personal landmark in England's top flight, per Sky Sports Statto:

Clearly inspired by the anything he can do, I can do rule, Gray soon joined his team-mate as a first-time Premier League goalscorer. Again, though, Pearce lamented sloppy defending from the visitors:

Sturridge had been caught dozing up front, but it was Klavan who proved particularly reckless. His wild, mistimed lunge in the middle gave Burnley a chasm of space to exploit behind Liverpool's defensive line.

It meant more frustration for Klopp, but it also meant one more notable moment on a remarkable career trajectory for Gray, one detailed by Squawka:

As if to sum up Liverpool's fragility at the back, the same source showed how much goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has been struggling this season:

Seeing his team play timidly in their bid to press the issue after the break, Klopp introduced powerhouse centre-forward Divock Origi for misfiring Sturridge. The Belgian's presence encouraged Liverpool to go more direct, bypassing the logjam in midfield.

It was a necessary switch considering the Reds continued to give the ball away in the middle, with Henderson especially culpable. Perhaps to arrest that pattern, Klopp introduced Serbian playmaker Marko Grujic for Adam Lallana.

He passed the ball with assurance and showed some nice touches, but still Liverpool couldn't break Burnley down. The newly promoted side appeared to be tiring but still maintained their discipline and shape to protect the result.

Afterwards, Burnley manager Sean Dyche pointed out how Liverpool's ownership of the ball had done little to influence the outcome:

Meanwhile, Klopp could only rue his team's errors:

Liverpool were a letdown after such a promising first win, with the absence of Mane's direct pace especially noticeable. By contrast, Burnley will take heart from the kind of performance that can keep them up provided they can summon the same organisation, tenacity and attacking quality several more times this season.

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