Liverpool will attempt to make it back-to-back Premier League wins at the start of the 2016-17 campaign when they travel to newly-promoted Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds recorded an impressive 4-3 victory at Arsenal last weekend, but it was a disappointing start for Burnley as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Swansea City on their return to the top flight.
Burnley
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Burnley were, by some distance, the best team in the Championship last season, only losing five of their 46 matches to finish top of the division and earn the right to compete in the Premier League once again.
The Clarets have never managed to consolidate their position in England's top flight, however, and that will once again be the challenge for Sean Dyche and his players this season. Their first Premier League campaign arrived in 2009, but they were relegated in 18th position and had to spend the next four seasons in the second tier.
They again rose to the Premier League in 2014, but once again finished 18th to drop into the Championship. They managed to secure an immediate return after winning the second tier last term, but it promises to be another difficult season for a club that have simply not been prepared to spend the money needed to consolidate in the top flight.
For Burnley, a summer spend of £10.9m is high, but it does not compare with the teams around them. They have also lost an experienced campaigner in the shape of Joey Barton and one look at their squad suggests that they will struggle to make a serious mark on the Premier League, despite the hopes and dreams of their passionate supporters.
The Clarets actually played pretty well against Swansea in their Premier League opener last weekend, but an 82nd-minute effort from Leroy Fer saw the Welsh outfit claim all the points at Turf Moor. It is still very early in the campaign, but Dyche will be wary of suffering back-to-back home defeats at this stage.
It is not as if it gets any easier for Burnley though as they face Chelsea and Leicester City in two of their three Premier League matches after hosting Liverpool. They will travel to Accrington Stanley in the League Cup on Wednesday, but it seems likely that Dyche will rotate his squad as he focuses on matters in England's top flight.
Recent form: L
Liverpool
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With no European football this season and a squad that has been boosted in this summer's transfer window, there is a general feeling that Jurgen Klopp could oversee a strong Premier League campaign for Liverpool.
The Reds might have reached the final of the League Cup and Europa League last season, but they finished eighth in the Premier League after losing 10 of their 38 matches and drawing 12 times in the process. The board will expect improvement this term and the Merseyside club made a strong start to the campaign last weekend.
It should have been more comfortable against Arsenal after racing into a 4-1 lead just past the hour at the Emirates, but the home side responded with goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers to set up a nervy final 15 minutes. In the end, Liverpool held on to win 4-3 and start their Premier League season with all three points.
Sadio Mane impressed on his debut as he struck a brilliant fourth in the 63rd minute, but it was Philippe Coutinho that stole the show with a brace to aid suggestions that he could enjoy a standout campaign this year. Just shy of £68m has been spent in this transfer market, with Georginio Wijnaldum, Loris Karius, Ragnar Klavan and Joel Matip also among those that have joined the Klopp revolution at Anfield.
In terms of what is ahead for Liverpool, they will travel to Burton Albion in the League Cup on Tuesday night, before making the trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League next weekend. Their first competitive home game of the season is against champions Leicester City on September 10, before visiting Chelsea on September 16.
It is widely thought that Klopp still wants to add to his squad in the final weeks of the transfer window, but there does already seem to be a better balance at Anfield and some of the football that they played against Arsenal certainly suggested that it could be a more prosperous campaign for the former English champions.
Recent form: W
Team News
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New signing Steven Defour is set to make his Premier League debut for Burnley after joining from Anderlecht, and the Belgian international could take the place of David Jones in the middle of the park.
Fellow summer arrival Johann Berg Gudmundsson is also pushing for a spot in the starting XI, but it appears that the Iceland international will once again have to make an impact from the bench.
Elsewhere, Andre Gray impressed on his Premier League debut against Swansea and the striker will continue in the final third alongside Sam Vokes, leaving Lukas Jutkiewicz as the forward option from the sidelines.
As for Liverpool, Klopp has played down suggestions that Mane has suffered a serious shoulder injury in training this week, but the former Southampton attacker is a doubt for the clash at Turf Moor.
James Milner and Daniel Sturridge have both returned to full training, however, and could come into the team, while Lucas Leiva and Mamadou Sakho are both edging towards full fitness for the Merseyside outfit.
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Heaton; Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward; Arfield, Defour, Marney, Boyd; Gray, Vokes
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Klavan, Milner; Lallana, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Firmino, Sturridge, Coutinho
Head To Head
Burnley have never scored a Premier League goal against Liverpool, losing all four of their previous encounters.
Indeed, of the Premier League clubs that Burnley have faced four times, Liverpool are the only side to defeat them on each occasion. The Reds are also just one of two Premier League clubs - the other being Swansea City - to have prevented the Clarets from scoring during their clashes in England's top flight.
Their last two Premier League meetings came during the 2014-15 campaign, with Liverpool winning 1-0 at Turf Moor in December 2014, before recording a 2-0 victory at Anfield three months later.
We say: Burnley 1-2 Liverpool
Burnley will have learned from some of their mistakes against Swansea last weekend, but it is difficult to back them upsetting a Liverpool team that will dominate most of the possession. We believe that Burnley have a goal in them, but expect Liverpool to make it two wins from two games at the start of the new campaign.
Matt Law
