- Date:2009-09-12
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Anfield
- Attendance:43817
- Referee:Mason, L
Live Commentary
93mins
Fulltime: Liverpool 4-0 Burnley. The final whistle goes and Burnley are put out of their miseary. Liverpool were exceptional going forward today and Yossi Benayoun's hat-trick was simply irresistible.
86mins
Another good move from Liverpool as Voronin links up with Gerrard and the Liverpool skipper shoots from close range but Jensen makes a good save to deny the Englishman.
84mins
Phillip Degen makes good ground up the right hand side and is found by Voronin. Degen crosses well towards the back post but N'Gog can't get his head to it and the danger passes.
84mins
Chris Eagles is cautioned for a late challenge on Benayoun.
82mins
LIVERPOOL 4-0 BURNLEY. Andriy Voronin slides the ball through to BENAYOUN who has beaten the offside trap and finishes neatly to beat Jensen and cap a fine performance from the Israeli.
78mins
David Nugent does well to pick up possession deep in the Liverpool half and he beats two men but he was isolated and eventually loses possession.
75mins
Graham Alexander is replaced by Joey Gudjonsson in Burnely's final change.
75mins
Fernando Torres comes off to be replaced by David N'Gog.
74mins
Steven Gerrard wanders through the defence and picks a path into the box and slides the ball past Jensen but it clips the outside of the post and goes for a goal-kick.
71mins
Steven Gerrard takes a free-kick from just outside the box and he bends it up and over the wall, Jensen parries it back into the danger zone and Benayoun turns it in but he is denied his hat-trick by the assistant's flag.
70mins
A clever ball in behind the Burnley defence looked to have set Torres through on goal but Andre Bikey shows his pace to get back at the striker and make the tackle.
69mins
David Nugent makes his debut as he comes on for Martin Paterson who has run himself into the ground today.
69mins
Andriy Voronin enters the action as Dirk Kuyt is replaced.
68mins
The tempo of the game has certainly slowed since the third goal as Liverpool look to conserve energy with their Champions League game midweek in mind.
64mins
Glen Johnson is withdrawn and Philipp Degen comes on. Benitez will no doubt look to protect his players with Champions League football midweek.
63mins
Wade Elliott shows a sign of danger as he skips away from his marker and with time and space he snatches at his shot and sends it high into the Anfield stands.
61mins
LIVERPOOL 3-0 BURNLEY. Steven Gerrard shows his quality as he finds a way through the Burnley defence to break into the box before sliding it square to pick out BENAYOUN who couldn't, and didn't, miss from close range.
60mins
Excellent defending from Tyrone Mears as he shows great pace to come across and make an excellent challenge on Torres as the Spaniard looked to get in behind the Burnley back line.
58mins
Chris Eagles come on to replace Robbie Blake as Owen Coyle looks to inject a little more pace into the Burnley attack.
55mins
Lucas will deliver this free-kick from the right hand side - He plays the ball towards the front post but the Burnley defence deal with it well and get the ball clear.
55mins
Stephen Jordan is cautioned after bringing down Fernando Torres.
54mins
Burnley struggle to clear a cross from Torres and the ball breaks to Benayoun who clips it back into the box towards Kuyt who tries to guide the header towards the corner but sends it wide.
51mins
Free-kick to Liverpool won by Gerrard after a foul from Carlisle just outside the box. Lee Mason marches out the ten yards. Gerrard shifts it to Riera who strikes it but it the wall does it's job.
50mins
The first corner of the second half is one by Torres and Gerrard will deliver from the right - The outswinging delivery is headed away by Alexander for a throw-in.
48mins
Owen Coyle seems to have stuck with the same system at the start of this second half in the hope of pinching a goal to get back into this one. Liverpool will look to dictate possession and add to their lead.
46mins
The second half gets underway and Burnley face an uphill battle if they want to get anything out of this one.
45mins
Halftime: Liverpool 2-0 Burnley. The halftime whistle goes and Liverpool go into the break two goals to the good against a Burnley side that have struggled in midfield. Paterson has forced saves from Reina but Liverpool are in command.
45mins
Paterson tries his luck from long range and in truth he strikes it too cleanly and rifles it straight at the middle of the goal but Reina turns it behind for a corner.
43mins
Steven Gerrard forces a fabulous save from Jensen as he arrows a shot towards the top corner with his right-foot but the Burnley keeper makes the save.
42mins
Certainly suspicions of offside there as Liverpool double their lead but many will say that Jensen perhaps could have done more to hold on to the shot from Benayoun.
41mins
LIVERPOOL 2-0 BURNLEY. Liverpool break rapidly through Torres and Benayoun picks it up and shoots from the edge of the box but is denied by a good stop from Jensen but it falls for KUYT who turns it home.
40mins
Burnley starting to enjoy a bit of possession and they force a corner on the left hand side - Blake swings it in towards Reina who makes an unconvincing clearance with his fist.
36mins
Liverpool are completely dominant! Riera comes in off the left hand side and fires the ball towards the far post and it flashes just past the head of Benayoun and beats the far post.
35mins
Graham Alexander slips the ball forward into Paterson who turns and makes a good run into the area and shoots left-footed but Reina makes a good save to his left.
33mins
Another effort from range for the home side as Lucas tries his luck and forces Jensen to turn it wide. Corner to be taken by Gerrard - The ball is swung into the box but Alexander gets up well to head the ball clear.
31mins
Great interplay again between Riera and Benayoun as the Spaniard plays a neat back-heel into the path of Benayoun who strikes it from the edge of the area but it flies into the hands of Jensen.
28mins
It could have been two! Insua takes the ball down the left hand side and crosses the ball towards Benayoun again who forces a great save from Jensen but it breaks for Kuyt. Kuyt shoots but Jensen is there to make another save to deny the Dutchman.
27mins
LIVERPOOL 1-0 BURNLEY. Yossi Benayoun picks the ball up in the right channel and cuts inside finding his way into the penalty area before sliding it into the corner. Great finish, and Liverpool have the lead.
23mins
Emiliano Insua finds space on the left hand side and clips the ball into the danger zone and finds Benayoun but the header goes a fraction wide of the near post.
21mins
Liverpool take possession as the ball breaks to Insua and he plays the ball into the middle and Kuyt picks it up moving in off the right flank. The Dutchman looks to test Jensen but drives the ball over the top from the edge of the box.
20mins
Martin Skrtel picks the ball up on the half-way line and with very little on he advances forward and tries his luck from a long way out but he fires it well wide.
16mins
First glimpse of Fernando Torres and he is allowed time to turn and shoot from 35 yards but it curls beyond the far post and Jensen had it covered but that certainly excited the home crowd.
12mins
Dirk Kuyt links up with Johnson and crosses the ball into the centre but Clarke Carlisle shows great composure as he chests the ball down to his keeper on the edge of his six yard box. Calm defending from the centre-half.
9mins
It appears that Owen Coyle has asked Wade Elliott to operate from the centre of midfield with Blake on the left and Paterson on the right hand side.
8mins
Burnley win their first corner after a mistake from Martin Skrtel who looks a little nervy in the opening stages. Blake swings it in but its headed away and the danger is cleared.
7mins
First effort from Liverpool as a long ball finds Riera who takes on Mears and forces a block, the ball falls for Dirk Kuyt just outside the box and he strikes it goalward but Jensen makes a good save.
4mins
Steven Fletcher has gone down and looks in some discomfort after an inocuous challenge with Insua. Riera put the ball into touch to allow the Scottish international to be treated but he seems to have recovered.
1mins
Burnely start brightly as Carlisle dispossesses Torres and finds McCann who feeds Martin Paterson but he pulled his effort off target from the edge of the box.
0mins
Today's referee is Lee Mason, and with a sharp blast on his whistle the game gets underway.
0mins
Owen Coyle names an unchanged side from the defeat at Chelsea with Steven Fletcher and Robbie Blake leading the line. Play-off hero Wade Elliott starts on the right and the experienced Graham Alexander will look to disrupt the Liverpool midfield.
0mins
After an international break fatigue is always a potential problem for players but Benitez takes no chances against Burnley naming both Gerrard and Torres in the starting eleven. Benayoun coms into midfield for Mascherano and Skrtel replaces Kyriakos
0mins
Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Bikey, Jordan, Alexander, Blake, McCann, Elliott, Steven Fletcher, Paterson
0mins
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Insua, Gerrard, Lucas, Kuyt, Benayoun, Riera, Torres
0mins
Hello and welcome to Anfield, home of Rafael Benitez's Liverpool who will today play hosts to newly promoted Burnley who are searching for their first away point in the top flight.
Match Preview
Liverpool will once again be under the spotlight as they look to shrug off a shaky start to the season when Burnley arrive at Anfield on Saturday.
The Reds have turned in a series of below-par displays thus far this term, losing as many games in their opening four fixtures as they did in the whole of last season.
But after a come-from-behind win at Bolton Wanderers before the international break, manager Rafael Benitez will be hopeful his Kop stars will be back in the mood to relaunch their assault on the Premier League title with a run of wins.
The arrival of the Clarets signals the first league meeting between the two clubs since 1976, though Liverpool fans will still be haunted by the ghosts of their ill-fated FA Cup trip to Turf Moor in January 2005.
A 1-0 defeat to the-then Championship mid-table side courtesy of a Johan Cruyff-like back flick own-goal from Djimi Traore ranks among the biggest embarrassments in Liverpool's proud history and delayed retribution is a must on Merseyside to keep on the heels of the pace-setters.
Daniel Agger and big money midfielder Alberto Aquilani will spend the next few weeks in the Melwood treatment room due to back and ankle problems respectively.
But Brazilian full-back Fabio Aurelio, who was impressive in Liverpool's run-in last term, could come into contention for his first appearance of the campaign as he has recovered from a pre-season knee injury.
Burnley have a largely clean bill of health as their only casualties are close to making first-team comebacks.
Scotland defender Steven Caldwell should be fine after a groin strain, while Michael Duff could shake off an ankle injury.
Burnley have already beaten Liverpool's fiercest rivals Manchester United and Everton at home this season, but are yet to pick up a point on their travels.
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Match Report
Rafa Benitez's Reds are back in the title race after Liverpool rediscovered last season's championship-challenging form to comfortably dispatch Premier League new boys Burnley.
Yossi Benayoun was the star of the show for Liverpool, scoring three times for Benitez's men and setting up the fourth for Dirk Kuyt, as the Clarets were swept aside 4-0 on Merseyside.
Liverpool's ability to challenge Manchester United and Chelsea for the title has been questioned in the opening weeks of the season, with defeats against Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur derailing their charge.
Those losses had even prompted Anfield goalkeeper Jose Reina to call into question his own side's capabilities, but there were few problems on their latest outing.
After staging a last-gasp comeback against Bolton ahead of the international break to reignite their season, Benitez's men were back in business at Anfield, steamrollering Owen Coyle's Burnley.
Visiting goalkeeper Brian Jensen was by far the busier of the two keepers and it seemed a mater of when and not if Liverpool would race into an early lead.
The game was effectively done and dusted at the break as Benayoun and Kuyt scored before half-time, while a double from the Israeli in the second 45 minutes wrapped up the points.
Benayoun got the ball rolling just before the half-hour mark, cutting inside Graham Alexander to slide in a shot across goalkeeper Jensen for the all-important opener.
Four minutes before the half-time interval it was 2-0, as Jensen could only parry Benayoun's shot at the end of a swift counter-attack and Kuyt slotted in the loose ball to extend the Reds' lead.
Benayoun then tapped in Steven Gerrard and Andriy Voronin passes to round off an impressive display, completing his hat-trick eight minutes from time.
Two Martin Paterson long-range strikes were Burnley's only threat but they were comfortably gathered by Reina as Liverpool rarely looked in trouble.
Liverpool Team
Burnley Team
Liverpool | Burnley |
Corners
| 7 | 5 |
Fouls
| 8 | 10 |
Goal attempts
| 27 | 6 |
Shots off target
| 10 | 3 |
Offsides
| 4 | 3 |



90mins
As we move into stoppage time Liverpool continue to control the possession and the atmosphere inside Anfield is one similar to a carnival now.