Thousands of Liverpool FC fans change their Twitter profile pics to Burnley striker Ashley Barnes ahead of Clarets' Man City clash

With the Premier League title race entering the home stretch, thousands of Liverpool FC fans are changing their profile pictures on social media to Burnley FC striker, Ashley Barnes, in solidarity with the Clarets ahead of Manchester City's game at Turf Moor this weekend.
The now-famous picture of Ashley Barnes (credit: Vizeh)The now-famous picture of Ashley Barnes (credit: Vizeh)
The now-famous picture of Ashley Barnes (credit: Vizeh)

Following their 0-2 win away at Old Trafford in the Manchester derby last night, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side have once again moved into first place, one point ahead of Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool in what was the 28th time the lead at the summit of the Premier League table has changed hands.

Both teams have just three games remaining in the Premier League, with City's next match coming this Sunday against Sean Dyche's Burnley at Turf Moor, prompting swathes of Liverpool supporters to adorn their social media profiles with a picture of a smirking Ashley Barnes after being encouraged to do so by Burnley-born YouTube star, Vizeh aka Liam Waddington.

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"Oi Liverpool fans if you legit want Burnley to beat City this weekend?" tweeted Vizeh last night. "Make this pic of Ashley Barnes your profile picture for s***house goodness, send me screenshots if you don’t then well it’s your fault we lose innit."

Desperate to do whatever they can to help their team secure what would be their first league title in 29 years, the club's online fan-base - which number over 60,000,000 people across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram - have taken to Vizeh's challenge with gusto. As a result, Twitter has a fair few more Ashley Barnes-branded profiles this morning.

"When I lie on my death bed one day and my family says what’s the best thing I’ve done with my life?" Vizeh tweeted in response to the countless Liverpool fans taking up his profile picture challenge. "Getting all of Liverpool twitter to change their pic to Ashley Barnes is up there."

As well as Burnley, Man City play Leicester City at home and relegation-fighting Brighton & Hove Albion away at the Amex Stadium, while Liverpool have - alongside their Champions League semi-final affair with Barcelona - Huddersfield Town at Anfield, Newcastle United - managed by former Scouse-favourite Rafa Benítez - away, and Wolverhampton Wanderers at home.

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Between them, both teams have lost just five times all season; Liverpool themselves stumbling just once - away to Man City at the Etihad in January. And, powered by their devotion to Ashley Barnes and Sean Dyche, millions of Liverpool fans will temporarily become staunch Clarets this Sunday afternoon.