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A brilliant double from Steven Gerrard helped secure a 4-0 win in Burnley as Liverpool kept alive their faint hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
The captain fired twice from outside the box before Maxi Rodriguez bagged his first Reds goal. Ryan Babel then got in on the act in injury time with the points already in the bag.
It means the gap to fourth-placed Tottenham is now just two points, though Harry Redknapp's men have three games remaining compared to Liverpool's two.
The result also means that, barring a footballing miracle, Brain Laws's lot will be travelling to places like Doncaster and Scunthorpe in the Championship next term.
Daniel Ayala - who'd previously started just one Barclays Premier League game - was among four changes for Liverpool after their European excursion in midweek.
Alberto Aquilani, Babel and Maxi also came in as the Reds sought their first league away win of 2010.
Aquilani, operating just behind lone striker Dirk Kuyt, might have opened the scoring had Danny Fox's stray clearance on 12 minutes not taken him totally by surprise.
It was a further seven minutes before the visitors tested Brian Jensen's goal when Babel strode at Tyrone Mears only to flash wide from the edge of the box.
At the other end, Danny Fox swung wide from a dead ball after Daniel Ayala's rash challenge, while an unmarked Steven Fletcher headed Martin Paterson's centre narrowly over.
Next, Gerrard burst into the box like a man possessed before forcing a low save from Jensen.
The home side protested furiously for a penalty after an apparent handball from Glen Johnson but referee Phil Dowd was having none of it. Replays showed the official got his decision spot on, with the ball hitting Johnson's chest before ricocheting on to his knee.
It took a brave intervention from Jamie Carragher to smother Fletcher's 20-yard blast as the Turf Moor faithful began to sniff the kind of giant killing imposed upon Manchester United here earlier this season.
Jack Cork had a free header saved by Pepe Reina with half-time approaching, while Babel ghosted behind the division's worst defence before losing composure with only Jensen to beat.
The second half started with another penalty shout after Fletcher came within inches of converting Cork's cross. This time it was Daniel Agger who was alleged to have handled the ball - and again replays showed that a spot kick would have been harsh.
There were further problems for Liverpool seconds later when Kuyt had to be replaced by Yossi Benayoun after limping over to the bench.
Burnley continued to pressurise with a well-placed free-kick from Mears - making it even harder for Laws to swallow when Liverpool opened the scoring on 52 minutes following some tidy link-up play between Gerrard and Aquilani.
The skipper seemed to have only one thing on his mind after collecting possession midway inside the Clarets half, though his 20-yard shot benefitted from a deflection off Leon Cort en route to goal.
Babel could have made it 2-0 shortly after but failed to connect properly with Aquilani's in-swinger.
Instead it was Gerrard who doubled the advantage on 59 minutes with a precocious strike from 25 yards - and this time the ball needed no help to beat Jensen and nestle into the bottom corner. It was the captain's 12th - and best - strike of a season when, by his own admission, he hasn't always reached top form.
Fletcher hit the post with a left-foot volley with 20 minutes remaining but Liverpool were now in total control.
Maxi sealed the win with his first goal in English football on 74 minutes, smashing beyond Jensen after fantastic vision from Aquilani.
Benitez responded by resting Gerrard for the final 10 minutes, with Dani Pacheco introduced.
The last act was Babel finishing off a one-on-one after Lucas's neat throughball.
Burnley vs Liverpool [1St Highlight]
Burnley 0 - 1 Liverpool
Burnley 0 - 2 Liverpool
Burnley 0 - 3 Liverpool
Burnley 0 - 4 Liverpool
Goals Video : Burnley 0 - 4 Liverpool
Download :
- Gerrard '52 : Hotfile
- Gerrard '59 : Hotfile
- Maxi '74 : Hotfile
- Babel '94 : Hotfile
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