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Firmino sets Turf Moor record, as Liverpool go fourth with crucial win

Liverpool climbed into fourth place and put Champions League qualification in their own hands after a 3-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.

Roberto Firmino, Nat Phillips, his first goal for the club and sub Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the goals as Liverpool moved a step closer to an unlikely top-four finish in the Premier League. It means Jurgen Klopp’s men must better Leicester’s result against Spurs when they take on Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday to seal a place in next season’s Champions League.

It was Liverpool’s fourth successive away league win at Burnley for the first time ever and Firmino became the first Liverpool player ever to score at Turf Moor in three successive visits.

Goalkeeper Will Norris made his full Premier League debut for Burnley against Champions League-chasing Liverpool as Nick Pope failed to recover from a knee injury. The 27-year-old’s only previous top-flight appearance was as an 89th-minute substitute for Wolves two years ago and he spent last season on loan at League One Ipswich.

He was one of two changes with Johann Berg Gudmundsson coming in for Matej Vydra.

Georginio Wijnaldum returned to Liverpool’s side as a replacement for Curtis Jones, with a fit-again Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner on the bench.

Liverpool’s front three all wasted good opportunities to test the goalkeeper but generally Burnley did enough to put the visitors’ off their game.

After 11 attempts failed to hit the target the 12th beat Norris.

What a time to get your first #LFC goal…

Nat Phillips’ header makes it 2-0 to the visitors!

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Firmino fired the Reds ahead just before half-time after great work between Mane and Robertson. The pair combined on the left before Robertson pulled the ball back to the edge of the box and Firmino crashed a shot towards Norris that the rookie keeper could not keep out.

Mane again worked his magic on the left after half-time before clipping in a cross from the byline which Nat Phillips (52) headed past Norris to make it 2-0.

Burnley almost grabbed a lifeline when James Tarkowksi saw his headed from a corner cleared off the line. The Clarets defender climbed highest at the far post and directed a header past Alisson but Phillips was there to head the ball clear.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who replaced Firmino on 81 minutes, wrapped up the points when he whipped in the third with a powerful left-foot shot after neat footwork in the box.

READ MORE: Nuri Sahin explains why Klopp is adored, despite getting kicked out of training

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