Darwin Nunez, a striker, scored his first goal in 12 games as Liverpool defeated Burnley 2-0 to reclaim the top spot in the standings.

The Uruguayan international, who hadn’t scored in the Premier League since the end of October, made the vital opening goal in the first half. In the ninetieth minute, substitute Diogo Jota scored the game-winning goal, his 50th goal for the Reds, to celebrate his first appearance in a month.

Jurgen Klopp’s team made things more difficult than they had to be against opponents who have now lost nine of ten home games, even though it was in most ways an easy victory (they had two goals disallowed and also hit the woodwork) for a team making five changes from the tiresome draw with Arsenal.

No such heroics from Burnley boss Vincent Kompany’s struggling team, whose cause was not helped by wins for Luton and Nottingham Forest. Instead, the legendary striker turned the tide of the 2018–19 title race in Manchester City’s favor against Leicester with a long-range goal.

In the last third, they were their own worst enemy, making bad choices, giving the ball away, and losing possession much too frequently. Their only chance was to take chances when they arrived and pray the visitors had a bad day.

Zeki Amdouni wasted their numerical advantage by slicing wide from 25 yards after launching a four-on-three in the fifth minute.

That was a sign of their weaknesses, and they paid the price almost away as Liverpool’s next effort was started by Cody Gakpo’s cutback, which found Nunez, who curled the ball inside the far post with his first attempt from 25 yards out.

He had initiated the move down the left and picked himself up off the turn after outpacing Dara O’Shea to rejoin the attack, so it was a fitting reward for his hard work.

Mohamed Salah failed on his first three tries, one of which went over the crossbar. Gakpo and Wataru Endo were also unable to add to the tally as the procession got underway.

One of the more effective players on the left, Gakpo, believed he had increased the lead when he scored off a rebound after James Trafford had made eight saves in the first half, but referee Paul Tierney determined Nunez had fouled Charlie Taylor.

Liverpool persisted in their efforts, but when Ryan Gravenberch scored the first goal of the second half after Harvey Elliott played a straightforward one-two, Salah was offside and in Trafford’s line of sight. Tierney disregarded the foul call following a VAR request.

Burnley responded immediately, deflecting an attempt by Jordan Beyer and bundling a shot by Sander Berge wide.

Johan Gudmundsson’s far-post free header over a half-empty goal was Burnley’s biggest miss, although Jacob Bruun Larsen, another substitute, might have done better when Endo delivered directly to him thirty yards out.

Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones strengthened Liverpool’s midfield, and the former was unable to turn in Jones’ header at the far post.

Burnley was given some hope by Liverpool’s attempts to control the game against Newcastle at home on New Year’s Day, and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s left-footed shot went just wide to remind them of the threat the visitors still posed.

Jota’s angled goal in the ninetieth minute and Klopp’s fist pumps in front of a travelling fan base cheering “Liverpool top of the league” demonstrated the significance of that goal.