LIVERPOOL showed Burnley a lesson in what can happen if you are devastating on the transition.

Sean Dyche was pleased with the efforts of his side, but admitted the European champions showed where they can improve.

After a freak opening goal, Burnley were quickly two behind after Sadio Mane doubled their lead and then Roberto Firmino secured the three points late on.

"I was pretty pleased with the performance overall, I don't think it ends up a 3-0 game from the actual game, but the first one is unlucky, it takes a big deflection off Woody, and wrong foots Popey, spinning it in," said Dyche.

"And the second one is a mistake. To be honest, until then I didn't think there was a lot in it, we defended well and opened them up a couple of times.

"We know they play a much higher line this year, which we wanted to affect, and we did, early on, with Woody getting in behind, and numerous other times when the margins were tight on offside calls.

"We wanted to work on that little moment when you're really high as strikers. We didn't always time it right, but the concept was there.

"Once you're 1-0 down, you wonder, and they get a second one from a mistake, clinical though, as they are, no taking away from them, very clinical, very good on transition, and that's my biggest gripe, it's not 3-0, it's just we gave the ball away in so many cheap positions, and you can't do that against these.

"They pounce and act on transitions well, they almost play a back seven with the three floating out, drifting, waiting for their moments, and when they get them, they hurt you. That was the biggest difference in the game."

Being two goals down at half time all but ended Burnley's chances as Dyche added: "The mentality is good second half but they're strong defensively as well now, van Dijk has made a huge difference, not just his ability, but the effect he's had knocking on to others.

"They're a strong outfit, without a shadow of a doubt, so it's hard to break down.

"We huffed and puffed and made a few moments, I suppose my gripe is about us giving it away, but when we worked in transition, we didn't find those killer passes, even when they were opened up and we were in a position to do so.

"That's what we've got to continue to learn and improve on, and that's sometimes the hardest bit, that clinical moment in both boxes."