Liverpool Boss It 0-4 At Bournemouth

Sports - Football - Premier League - AFCB 0:4 Liverpool

Liverpool bossed the show and cruised to a 0-4 win at Bournemouth to move up to fourth in the Premier League table on Super Sunday.

Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a bit of magic after hitting the post with a free-kick earlier on.

The Brazilian made it five goals in five games after a fine run, moving too quick for the Bournemouth defenders, before slotting the ball past Asmir Begović.

Dejan Lovren doubled the score for the visitors at the Vitality Stadium soon after with a fine header.

Star man Mohamed Salah made it 0-3 before half-time after Jermain Defoe had hit the post for the home side.

The great Egyptian produced one of his excellent quick runs before netting his 11th goal in 11 games, and his 20th of the season.

The man of the match became the first Liverpool player to score at least 20 league and cup goals in a single season since Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge in 2013-14, and the first to score 20 goals before Christmas since the great legend Ian Rush in 1986-7.

Roberto Firmino got the deserved fourth with a diving header to seal the win 0-4 and extend the Reds' unbeaten run to 12 matches in all competitions.

The convincing victory was much needed after disappointing draws at home against Everton and West Brom and took Jürgen Klopp's men up to fourth, above Arsenal and Burnley, but still 18 points behind league leaders Manchester City.

Eddie Howe's side meanwhile, stay 16th in the table, only one point above the relegation zone, after their sixth game without a win (3D, 3L).

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last nine league games (6W, 3D), their best run since an 11-match run ended in November 2016.

They are the first team in top-flight history to win four consecutive away games by a margin of at least three goals.

Next for the Reds is a trip to London on Friday night, where they will face Arsenal at the Emirates.

One can only hope they keep the confidence from this win and if they play against the Gunners as they did in the reverse fixture or last season's stunning opener, they should be fine and able to extend that thrashing away record.

Liverpool Goals: Coutinho 20', Lovren 26', Salah 44', Firmino 66'.

Bournemouth Team: 27 Begovic; 15 Smith, 2 Francis (c), 5 Aké (booked 10'), 11 Daniels (3 S Cook 56'); 33 Ibe, 16 L Cook, 6 Surman, 7 Pugh (24 Fraser 45'); 17 King (19 Stanislas 31'); 18 Defoe. 4-4-1-1
Subs not used: 1 Boruc, 4 Gosling, 8 Arter, 9 Afobe.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 12 Gomez, 6 Lovren, 17 Klavan, 26 Robertson; 21 Oxlade-Chamberlain, 14 Henderson (c), 5 Wijnaldum; 11 Salah (20 Lallana 71' (booked 73')), 9 Firmino (29 Solanke 76'), 10 Coutinho (28 Ings 87'). 4-3-3
Subs not used: 1 Karius, 7 Milner, 10 Mané, 66 Alexander-Arnold.

HT Match Stats: AFCB 0-3 LFC
Possession: 45%-55%
Shots: 3-11
On target: 1-5
Corners: 1-2
Fouls: 4-3
Yellow cards: 1-0

FT Match Stats: AFCB 0-4 LFC
Possession: 44%-56%
Shots: 6-21
On target: 2-7
Corners: 2-3
Fouls: 5-10
Yellow cards: 1-1

Referee: Andre Marriner
Man of the match: Mohamed Salah
Ground: Vitality Stadium
Attendance: 10,780

Click here for my previous LFC match report.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match report and Twitter.

Cherries Shock Reds In 7-Goal Thriller

Sports - Football - Premier League - AFCB 4:3 LFC

Bournemouth beat Liverpool for the first time, coming back from two goals down, scoring three goals in the final 14 minutes, to win 4-3 and end the Reds' 15-match unbeaten run.

It was a game of two halves with a dramatic grand finale at the Vitality Stadium.

The visitors started comfortably and dominant, taking the lead in the 20th minute thanks to Sadio Mané's easy tap in, his seventh league goal of the season.

Not even two minutes later, Divock Origi broke free, keeper Artur Boruc storming past him, the Belgian forward striking from a tight angle, the stadium gasping, utter silence, waiting, expecting, goal, 0-2, all the dominance paid off.

Junior Stanislas was the only ray of hope for the home side, creating chances, only to see the ball given away and wasted on numerous occasions.

And the Cherries were in uproar when they were denied a penalty by referee Robert Madley after Nathan Aké was clipped in the box surrounded by Liverpool defenders.

The half-time whistle could not have come soon enough for Eddie Howe's men, and it would have been more than interesting to be a fly on the wall of that dressing room during the interval.

Former Liverpool man Jordon Ibe was brought on in place of Joshua King for the home side after the break, ringing change.

More change was enforced soon after, Stanislas injured thanks to Jordan Henderson's clumsy tackle that put him in the ref's book, to be replaced by Ryan Fraser. Little did they know how much that sub would change for them.

Moments later James Milner conceded a penalty, netted by striker Callum Wilson to make it 1-2. Game on. Liverpool not so dominant anymore, Jürgen Klopp furious on the sideline, warned off by the officials.

Emre Can restored the two-goal cushion a few minutes later, hitting a nice curling shot, scoring his third league goal of the season, stopping the Bournemouth comeback in its track. Or so they thought.

The Reds thought they had the ball over the line off a Milner corner, keeper Boruc taking it, nearly over the line, replays showing it was really close. But all sound and vibration alerts stayed silent, by a millimetre or two.

Then the last sub for the home side Benik Afobe missed a chance to see man of the match Fraser net it after a nice counter by Bournemouth to make it 2-3. Then all hell broke loose for the Reds.

Seconds later defender Steve Cook levelled the score collecting super-sub Fraser's fine cross, turning and converting nicely, 3-3.

Liverpool's defence looked all over the place at this point, keeper Loris Karius forced into a save by Afobe again, Bournemouth bossing it, Klopp looking lost for words.

Origi and sub Adam Lallana had late chances to nick a win, but it was not to be.

The shocking turnaround was completed by the hosts in the third minute of stoppage time, Karius spilling the ball, Aké pouncing on it to make it count, 4-3!

Bournemouth looked the hungrier in the second half, Liverpool all over the place, the complete opposite of the first half. What a turnaround!

The Red bubble was well and truly burst by the Cherries. The Scousers had not conceded for over 5.5 hours and now netted four, costing them three points, seeing them slip down to third, four points behind league leaders Chelsea, one behind Arsenal in second, ahead of City in fourth just on goal difference.

The Christmas fixture list will now look very different to Klopp and his men.

Click here to read my full ByTheMinute match coverage

Bournemouth Goals: Wilson pen 56', Fraser 76', Cook 78' & Aké 90'+3'.

Liverpool Goals: Mané 20', Origi 22' & Can 64'.

Bournemouth Team: 1 Boruc; 15 Smith, 2 Francis (c) (booked 50'), 3 Cook, 5 Aké; 8 Arter, 4 Gosling (9 Afobe 75'); 17 King (33 Ibe 45'), 32 Wilshere (booked 48'), 19 Stanislas (24 Fraser 55'); 13 Wilson. 4-2-3-1
Subs not used: 7 Pugh, 14 Smith, 23 Federici, 26 Mings.

Liverpool Team: 1 Karius; 2 Clyne, 21 Lucas, 6 Lovren, 7 Milner; 23 Can (booked 87'), 14 Henderson (booked 53'), 5 Wijnaldum; 19 Mané (20 Lallana 69'), 27 Origi, 11 Firmino. 4-3-3
Subs not used: 17 Klavan, 18 Moreno, 22 Mignolet, 53 Ejaria, 58 Woodburn, 66 Alexander-Arnold.

HT Stats:
Bournemouth 0-2 Liverpool
Attempts: 1-5
On target: 0-2
Offside: 0-1
Corners: 1-6
Fouls: 5-4
No bookings
Possession: 41%-59%

FT Stats:
Bournemouth 4-3 Liverpool
Attempts: 12-10
On target: 8-3
Offsides: 1-1
Corners: 4-9
Fouls: 9-17
Bookings: 2-2
Possession: 39.9%-60.1%

Referee: Robert Madley
Man of the match: Ryan Fraser
Ground: Vitality Stadium
Attendance: 11,183

Pictures taken from the BBC match report & stats from Sky Sports live coverage

Click here for my previous LFC match report

Match Report: Liverpool 1-0 Bournemouth

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool 1-0 Bournemouth

Christian Benteke's first goal for Liverpool on his debut at Anfield handed his side a controversial 1-0 winner against newly promoted Bournemouth.

The Belgian striker netted the winner from close range on 26 minutes, but Eddie Howe's men had a valid reason to protest as Philippe Coutinho should have been flagged offside in the build-up to the goal.

Brendan Rodgers' men made it two unconvincing 1-0 wins out of two, becoming the fourth side after Manchester City, Manchester United and Leicester with 100% record after the second round of Premier League games.

The home side started with an unchanged side after their 1-0 win at Stoke last Sunday, but it was the Cherries who started the more promising, skipper Tommy Elphick netting a header, only to be disallowed for a foul on Dejan Lovren. Harsh from referee Craig Pawson.

The early threat seemed to give the Reds the much needed wake-up call, and they soon took over the ball and play, Coutinho especially omnipresent and always creating.

The Brazilian was heavily involved in Benteke's match winner for Liverpool, as under new rules for this season, he should have been flagged offside as he was affecting play, moving towards the ball in the build-up to the goal.

But it was not to be for the visitors, the flag stayed down, the goal, scoreline and result stood, 1-0.

Reds keeper Simon Mignolet was not really tested, but the Belgian keeper will still be happy with the second consecutive clean sheet after both Matt Ritchie and Eunan O'Kane both shot wide for Bournemouth in the second half.

Liverpool went closest to scoring again late on, Benteke hitting the bar and missing out on a second in the final seconds.

Three more points in the bag for the Reds, but no illusions about the display and much needed improvement and development still.

Images from the BBC website.

Liverpool Goals: 9 Benteke 26'.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 12 Gomez (booked 75'), 6 Lovren, 37 Skrtel, 2 Clyne; 14 Henderson (c) (23 Can 52'), 7 Milner; 20 Lallana; 33 Ibe (11 Firmino 70'), 10 Coutinho (18 Moreno 81'); 9 Benteke. 4-2-1-2-1
Subs not used: 4 Toure, 27 Origi, 28 Ings, 34 Bogdan.

Bournemouth Team: 1 Borac; 11 Daniels, 3 Cook (booked 91'), 5 Elphick (c), 2 Francis; 10 Gradel (15 Smith 81'), 6 Surman, 32 O'Kane (booked 34') (4 Gosling 87'), 30 Ritchie (booked 76'); 17 King (24 Tomlin 61', booked 77'), 13 Wilson. 4-4-2
Subs not used: 7 Pugh, 14 Mings, 23 Federici, 25 Distin.

Liverpool-Bournemouth Match Stats:
Possession: 54.9%-45.1%
Shots: 18-13
On taget: 2-2
Off target: 11-6
Blocked: 5-5
Corners: 6-8
Offside: 1-0
Fouls: 11-18
Bookings: 1-4

Referee: Craig Pawson