Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Burnley as Ryan Gravenberch good but two poor

TURF MOOR, BURNLEY // A late, late Mohamed Salah penalty saw Liverpool maintain its 100 per cent record at the start of the new Premier League season after Arne Slot's side had failed to break down the Turf Moor side.

In the first half, there was little in the way of quality or chances from either team, though Alexis Mac Allister didn't make it out for the second half, and Milos Kerkez had been hooked even before that.

Those changes, though, were unable to turn the tide in the fixture. Just like against Arsenal, it was going to require a moment of magic to break the deadlock, or a mistake. That is, in the end, what settled it.

Winners

Ryan Gravenberch looked fresh and sharp in the center of the pitch and was the fulcrum of everything that Liverpool played forward through the thirds. The Dutchman played well and when Liverpool was on top, he was orchestrating things from deep. Others did OK, but little more, with Liverpool struggling to create much in the way of clear-cut chances in either half.

Losers

Milos Kerkez was hooked before half-time in a brutal move from Arne Slot. It was necessary, though. Had the Hungary left-back stayed on, he was walking a tightrope having been booked.

In the driving rain at Turf Moor, that would have been a risk. Burnley's only threat was on the counter and he could have easily been sent off when chasing down one of the opposition attackers. Still, it wasn't ideal for the $54 million (£40 million) man.

Player ratings

Alisson Becker (n/a). He didn't touch the ball, really.

Dominik Szoboszlai (7). Even with two 'proper' right-backs on the bench, the Hungarian was selected at full-back to start with. His impact was limited, though he was in the right place a few times to stifle counter-attacks. Much better in midfield on this occasion.

Ibrahima Konate (7). He won a lot in the air and needed to be alert a few times to get back into position swiftly. A decent enough performance from the center-back.

Virgil van Dijk (7). Gave possession away cheaply early on which led to a Burnley chance. Headed over the bar from close range a few minutes later. Generally solid, though, and good on the ball aside from the one error.

Milos Kerkez (4). Booked for diving in the first half (a terrible attempt at fooling the referee) and was then treading a tightrope. Put one excellent cross into the box but didn't do much beyond that and keeping him on would have been a risk, not least in slippy conditions.

Ryan Gravenberch (7). Rested during the Netherlands' second game of the international break, Gravenberch was always going to start here. He was the brightest player in the first half and looked sharp, but needed a bit more from those in front of him.

Alexis Mac Allister (5). Having struggled for Argentina midweek, it was a slight surprise that he was in from the off. A few of his passes went astray early on, and he was on the end of a bad tackle from Lesley Ugochukwu that drew a yellow card. Not his best showing.

Mohamed Salah (6). Kept under a tight leash down the right flank. Barely had a sight of goal in the first half and that didn't change much after the interval. In stoppage time, he slammed home a late winner.

Florian Wirtz (6). Struggling to find space and was outmuscled a few times. He's still getting up to speed, but there is a lot of quality there to be unlocked when he does get more used to the intensity. We saw another few glimpses here and as has been a pattern so far, his second half was better than his first.

Cody Gakpo (6). Up against Kyle Walker, the Dutch winger was unable to beat his man many times but did put in some half-decent crosses from the left. He looked as likely as anyone to create something.

Hugo Ekitike (6). Another who is still getting up to speed in this Liverpool team, the Frenchman showed some nice signs when it came to link-up play. He was feeding off scraps when it came to scoring opportunities.

Substitutes

Andy Robertson (6). Within a few minutes of coming on, he had shown his quality with a few good outside overlapping runs. He has been waiting for a chance to come into the team and did well enough here. He will get plenty of minutes this season.

Conor Bradley (6). Injected some life into the team in the second half. Slightly surprising that he didn't start the game but the Northern Irishman was good when he came on.

Federico Chiesa (6). The Italian wasn't brought on until the 72nd minute, which was telling. Liverpool needed inspiration before that, really, the way the game was going. Rio Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong also came on, but too late to earn a rating.