Liverpool romped home with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, courtesy of a hat-trick from the Egyptian wizard Mohamed Salah.
Bournemouth did prove to be a handful at home for the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United in recent weeks, trying to stamp their authority in the opening twenty minutes or so to try and draw first blood.
However, Jurgen Klopp was well aware of what Bournemouth had up their sleeves and it was evident from the way Liverpool approached the game right from the kick-off. The Reds dictated the proceedings in the middle of the park, not allowing Bournemouth to get a touch of the ball.
Liverpool’s territorial domination soon paid the dividends, albeit there was an element of luck involved in Mohamed Salah’s opener. He did seem to be marginally offside when Roberto Firmino’s powerful drive was parried away by Asmir Begovic but few can argue that the Reds got a much-deserved goal to show for their stranglehold on the game.
Bournemouth moved further up the pitch to try and strangle Liverpool for space in the middle of the park and that ploy did seem to work for a short period. David Brooks had a sight of goal but that did not give Alisson any major headaches.
Liverpool doubled their advantage early in the second half as Roberto Firmino capitalised on Steve Cook’s misplaced pass and released Mohamed Salah into space who found the net with a clinical finish. The game looked virtually done and dusted with Liverpool boasting of a 2-0 lead.
Things turned from bad to worse for the home side when Steve Cook’s bizarre back-heeled clearance off Andrew Robertson’s powerfully driven cross from the left found the back of his own net, leaving Begovic for dead. Jurgen Klopp rung the changes and Adam Lallana set up Mohamed Salah for the hat-trick with 13 minutes to go.
In all honesty, Liverpool’s performance can be termed as dominant as they completely outclassed the opposition. They weren’t particularly creative in the midfield but it was a masterclass from Mohamed Salah that took them to the top of the table.
It wasn’t only about the flattering 4-0 scoreline but Klopp should have plenty of positives to take from this game. Liverpool’s passing in the midfield, ball retention and pressing off the ball were of the highest standard, as was the coordination and communication across the backline.
The fans should now have their fingers crossed when Manchester City take on Chelsea tonight as Liverpool can get a crucial breakthrough in their quest for the title if the Citizens drop points at Stamford Bridge.