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Delighted Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has credited his team for reaching the top of the Premier League without being ‘perfect’.
Strikers Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota each scored their first goals since November as Liverpool won their final match of 2023 at Burnley to move above Arsenal to the summit.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners can reclaim the lead by beating West Ham on Thursday but Klopp, whose side next play on New Year’s Day against Newcastle, is pleased with how his gutsy new-look side is shaping up.
‘We can not now be more than a point away from the top after this week’s games – that’s within punching distance.
Jurgen Klopp has praised his Liverpool side for taking top spot despite not being ‘perfect’
Goals from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota secured a comfortable win over Burnley on Tuesday
‘Whatever the outside world thinks, it is really intense to play four matches in 10 days. It’s been a really busy period.
‘It’s nice to be top. I won’t raise my arms because it will probably changed but to have 42 points is really pleasing. Darwin and Diogo were the perfect scorers for us.
‘Darwin is an incredible finisher but if a striker doesn’t score, you question everything in the moment. Now he has it (another goal), so it’s all good.’
Nunez struck early on with his first goal in 13 matches but Burnley rallied strongly after Harvey Elliott had a goal controversially ruled out for offside.
The hosts should have levelled when Johann Berg Gudmundsson missed a sitter before Jota came off the bench after missing a month with a hamstring injury and sealed the points late on.
Skipper Virgil van Dijk was delighted to see Nunez in particular end his drought. ‘Obviously as a striker if you don’t score for a little bit, it can get into your head,’ he said.
‘It is never easy at Burnley and we had to suffer. There was a bit of chaos after our goal was disallowed and I am pleased with the performance.’
Virgil van Dijk hailed Nunez for returning to the scoresheet after a dry spell in front of goal
Klopp was angered at a decision to chalk off Harvey Elliott’s goal due to Mo Salah being offside
Klopp was fuming that Elliott had been denied a goal because Mo Salah was standing offside, though the Liverpool manager didn’t think he was interfering with play.
‘It’s insane – honestly,’ rapped the Liverpool boss.
‘This man, if he never played football, then it can happen. You think ‘offside rule, let me see, page seven’, there is somebody between him and the goalie. That’s ridiculous. That is a clear goal.’
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany was Manchester City skipper when they competed with Liverpool. ‘They are returning to those levels of intensity,’ he said. ‘Only the future will tell if they can get the same quality.’
His Clarets side are stuck in the bottom three but showed plenty of spirit at Turf Moor.
‘You aren’t going to prevent them having good moments but we had our own moments too,’ he said.
