NICK POPE

A first Premier League start at Anfield may have looked daunting, but it probably helped Nick Pope.

He was always going to be a busy man on Merseyside, but as soon as he had a couple of saves under his belt he would have felt settled into the game.

In the end his first save, albeit a very routine one, came from Daniel Sturridge’s scuffed shot inside the opening 45 seconds.

Pope certainly wasn’t overawed by the home fans getting on his back. Having switched the teams after the toss he defended the Kop goal in the first half, and eight minutes were on the clock when the first boos for time wasting arrived.

He was duly booked as soon as the 55th minute but he held his nerve to help Burnley to a fine point.

ORGANISATION

This was another triumph for the way Burnley set up. They were forced into a back six at times, with Robbie Brady and Johann Berg Gudmundsson at full-back and Matt Lowton and Stephen Ward tucked inside.

But it was all about denying Liverpool’s dangerous attack the space to play in and it worked. The midfield of Steven Defour and Jack Cork sat deep, keeping Philippe Coutinho at bay.

The stats will say Liverpool had 35 shots, but so many of them were from long range, and Burnley are brilliant at making the goal smaller, with the defenders getting bodies inside the angle of the post. That’s now 86 shots faced in three games, with only two going in, and that is not simply down to luck. Creating clear chances against this Burnley side is very, very difficult.

EXPLOITING WEAKNESS

Sean Dyche was very honest after the game when he spoke of Liverpool’s vulnerability to set-pieces and looking to exploit that, and it so nearly worked.

Burnley’s chances to impose themselves on the game were few and far between, but they so nearly snatched victory in the final 10 minutes through a couple of identical corners.

Robbie Brady twice sent in back post deliveries which Ben Mee headed goalwards, with Joel Matip clearing one off the line and Simon Mignolet saving the other.

AWAY DAY TRANSFORMATION

It’s been some turnaround on the road for the Clarets this season. Three games in, and those at three of last season’s top four, and Burnley are just two points shy of the total they took from 19 away games last season.

That win achieved at Crystal Palace back in April looks to have done wonders for the confidence of the Clarets, and it’s been boosted further by the opening day win at Chelsea. When Burnley travel now they do so with a belief that they can get a result.

Results away from home was the one missing piece of the jigsaw last season. If that can be added into the home form of 2016/17 then this Burnley side could go a long way this season.

STRIKING OPTIONS

It was back to one up front for the Clarets at Anfield and after the stunning start to his Burnley career it was Chris Wood who was given the nod ahead of Sam Vokes.

But the bench was packed with attacking options to change the game and Sean Dyche is spoilt for choice when it comes to his strikers these days, especially with Nahki Wells still to be added into the mix.

Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes both came off the bench at Liverpool, while Jon Walters, who has a good record against the Reds and is a boyhood Evertonian, will be frustrated not to have seen any action.

The fact Walters is struggling to get minutes under his belt at the moment, after a good pre-season, shows how well stocked Burnley are for forward options.