Liverpool bounce back in EPL with 3-0 win over Bournemouth
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Luis Diaz of Liverpool celebrates after scoring against Bournemouth.
EPA-EFE
Follow topic:
LONDON – Arne Slot may be new to the English Premier League, but he knows that his Liverpool team should be all about winning or, at the very least, bouncing back after a setback.
Following their shock 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sept 14, the Reds beat AC Milan 3-1 in the Champions League in midweek. They maintained that momentum when they hosted Bournemouth at Anfield on Sept 21, taking less than 40 minutes for the game to be all but decided in their 3-0 win.
Luis Diaz was the star of the show in the opening minutes, breaking the deadlock in the 26th minute, when the forward rounded Cherries goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga before firing into an empty net.
Two minutes later, the Colombian scored his second. He received a clever pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold and composed himself to make it 2-0. With the assist, Alexander-Arnold has now been directly involved in 100 goals as a Liverpool player (19 goals, 81 assists) – according to Opta statistics.
Striker Darwin Nunez then made it three for Liverpool in the 37th minute with an impressive goal. The Uruguayan played a one-two with Mohamed Salah, before curling a delightful strike past the diving Arrizabalaga.
With a three-goal margin, Slot’s men came out after the break more controlled, but still with the intention to score more.
By the 66th minute, Liverpool were comfortable keeping the ball, passing it around and building up attacks, backed by the cheers from their home crowd.
Nunez was denied a second by centre-back Dean Huijsen, who blocked his effort on the line, albeit unknowingly. Slot then replaced Nunez with new signing Federico Chiesa. In the end, 3-0 was enough for the Reds to seal three vital points.
Liverpool have now won four of five games to keep up the pressure on champions Manchester City, who have won a perfect four matches and host Arsenal in the big clash on Sept 22.
In another match, Tottenham Hotspur were stunned in the first minute when Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The forward smashed the ball into the back of the net with a volley, making it the second straight Premier League game where the Bees have scored in the opening minute.
Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs side then equalised through Dominic Solanke seven minutes later – the striker scoring his first goal for the club when he tapped in from a rebound.
Brennan Johnson made it 2-1 in the 28th minute when his left-footed strike gave Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken no chance. Flekken was beaten again in the 85th minute by a brilliant chip by James Maddison as Spurs won 3-1.
The victory eased some pressure on Postecoglou, who came into the game on the back of two league losses to Newcastle United and north London rivals Arsenal.
