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Fabinho struck five minutes before half-timeLiverpool won at bottom-of-the-table Burnley to record a fourth consecutive Premier League victory as they seek to stay in touch with leaders Manchester City.
In testing conditions at Turf Moor, Fabinho scored the game's only goal just before half-time, the midfielder stabbing the ball home from a corner.
Burnley, fighting for Premier League survival, had several good chances before Fabinho struck.
Josh Brownhill had a long-distance effort saved by Alisson, and January signing Wout Weghorst should have done better after racing through on goal.
Chances were few and far between in a scrappy second half although substitute Diogo Jota should have added a late second after a quick Liverpool break but shot wide.
The win means Liverpool are nine points behind leaders City with 14 games still to play, one more than their title rivals, who host the Reds in April.
Burnley remain bottom, seven points from safety.
Old guard return but Fabinho shines
Fabinho has scored his most goals in a season for Liverpool - six so far in all competitionsWith Sadio Mane available again after helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp opted to restore the old guard and started with a front three of Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, with in-form Diogo Jota on the bench.
But in driving rain and a blustery wind, the visitors' attacking trio often struggled to make an impact, although Mane did play an important role in the breakthrough goal.
The forward got a crucial flick on Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner and Fabinho ran on to it, hitting a first-time strike that was blocked on the line before the Brazilian followed up the rebound to poke in.
The goal continued Fabinho's impressive recent run of scoring form - it was his fifth in his past seven games in all competitions.
It secured an important three points from a game in which the Reds could easily have slipped up, with Burnley having held Manchester United to a draw on Tuesday.
Encouraging display by Burnley but wins needed
Newcastle's win against Aston Villa means Burnley are now seven points from safetyA win against a side chasing leaders Manchester City who had lost just once since 20 November was always going to be a difficult task for Burnley, but despite the result this was another encouraging display by the Clarets.
A combination of good saves and poor finishing was the only reason the hosts were not ahead before Fabinho struck and although Weghorst should have done better with a finish on the break, the striker once again put in an impressive performance.
He did, however, limp off midway through the second half and the Clarets will be hoping it is nothing serious because with his strength and height in attack and Maxwel Cornet's creativity, Burnley have the tools to give themselves a fighting chance of staying up.
But Sean Dyche's side have managed just one win all season and unless that record changes soon they could be cut adrift.
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Burnley
Squad number1Player namePope
Squad number14Player nameRoberts
Squad number5Player nameTarkowski
Squad number6Player nameMee
Squad number23Player namePieters
Squad number17Player nameLennon
Squad number18Player nameWestwood
Squad number8Player nameBrownhill
Squad number20Player nameCornet
Squad number19Player nameRodriguez
Squad number9Player nameWeghorst
Squad number10Player nameBarnes
Squad number11Player nameMcNeil
Liverpool
Squad number1Player nameAlisson
Squad number66Player nameAlexander-Arnold
Squad number32Player nameMatip
Squad number4Player namevan Dijk
Squad number26Player nameRobertson
Squad number14Player nameHenderson- Squad number3Player nameFabinho
- Squad number8Player nameKeïta
Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah
Squad number9Player nameRoberto Firmino
Squad number10Player nameMané
- Squad number6Player nameThiago Alcántara
Squad number7Player nameMilner- Squad number20Player nameDiogo Jota
Line-ups
Burnley
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Pope
- 14Roberts
- 5Tarkowski
- 6Mee
- 23Pieters
- 17Lennon
- 18Westwood
- 8Brownhill
- 20Cornet
- 19RodriguezSubstituted forMcNeilat 62'minutes
- 9WeghorstSubstituted forBarnesat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Lowton
- 4Cork
- 10Barnes
- 11McNeil
- 13Hennessey
- 16Stephens
- 22Collins
- 26Bardsley
- 28Long
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 32Matip
- 4van Dijk
- 26Robertson
- 14HendersonBooked at 27minsSubstituted forThiago Alcántaraat 59'minutes
- 3Fabinho
- 8KeïtaSubstituted forMilnerat 90+2'minutes
- 11Salah
- 9Firmino
- 10ManéSubstituted forJotaat 67'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Konaté
- 6Thiago Alcántara
- 7Milner
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 20Jota
- 21Tsimikas
- 23Díaz
- 62Kelleher
- 67Elliott
Live Text
Match ends, Burnley 0, Liverpool 1.
Second Half ends, Burnley 0, Liverpool 1.
Offside, Burnley. Ben Mee tries a through ball, but James Tarkowski is caught offside.
Substitution, Liverpool. James Milner replaces Naby Keïta.
Foul by Naby Keïta (Liverpool).
Ashley Westwood (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Burnley. Ben Mee tries a through ball, but Dwight McNeil is caught offside.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Connor Roberts.
Attempt missed. Diogo Jota (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Offside, Liverpool. Virgil van Dijk tries a through ball, but Andrew Robertson is caught offside.
Offside, Burnley. Josh Brownhill tries a through ball, but Maxwel Cornet is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right misses to the right. Assisted by Andrew Robertson with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Ben Mee.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Josh Brownhill.
Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Joel Matip.
Substitution, Burnley. Ashley Barnes replaces Wout Weghorst because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Fabinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Diogo Jota.
Offside, Liverpool. Andrew Robertson tries a through ball, but Roberto Firmino is caught offside.
Substitution, Liverpool. Diogo Jota replaces Sadio Mané.
Offside, Liverpool. Andrew Robertson tries a through ball, but Trent Alexander-Arnold is caught offside.
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