After a strong performance, Liverpool hold on to their lead, leaving the Vitality Stadium with three points. More players are beginning to show their quality every 90 minutes, and a solid run of form is to be expected going forward, especially with the attack looking increasingly dangerous in front of goal.

Story of the Match

Bournemouth started the game on the front foot, with Alex Scott creating chances, targeting the wings and allowing the Cherries to press the ball forward. Araujo started rough on the right-hand side and made unforced errors that fed the attack. However, the game balanced out around the 10-minute mark when Florian Wirtz drew a foul outside Bournemouth’s box, which led to the Reds becoming more comfortable progressing the ball

Alexis McCallister, who scored and assisted in the Carabao Cup last week, maintained this level with a very strong display, especially going forward. Liverpool’s main threat was through the middle, and McCallister was conducting the tempo of the match tremendously, often finding either Bradley Barcola or Alexander Isak. Despite some defensive lapses, in the future he has been looking the most decisive.

However, the same cannot be said for Florian Wirtz, as he lost control of the ball numerous times and wasn’t very quick on his feet, often succumbing to the pressure and high energy that Bournemouth bring. He seems a bit behind the rest of the players, a talented player just lacking confidence currently. 

The first half remained quite frustrating as Bournemouth were very confident when attacking, particularly Evanilson dropping deep and carrying the ball into the final third. The link-up play between him and Tavanier was becoming more potent as the game progressed, and their combinations forced an Allison save. Untidiness and relaxing excessively caused Wirtz to lose possession, being the reason for the chance. The left-side outlet to Barcola was consistently promising as he was forward-thinking and direct, unafraid to take on his defender even if his flicks and tricks don’t always work out. Isak continued to show for the ball and is laying it off well into the path of others, but it hasn’t been amounting to a real threat early on.

Liverpool, despite being better overall, are not very robust at the back, and the door is still very much open with the game at 0-0. Bournemouth still felt as though the game was for the taking despite Isak and Gakpo attacking well. 

Szoboszlai and McCallister have enjoyed good spells of possession when charging forward, showing why they are some of the league’s premier ball carriers, but balance is needed in the middle of the park. The midfield presence defensively wasn’t strong at all, with rebounds and 50/50 challenges being lost, which led to sustained Bournemouth attacks. Evanilson was freely roaming in a false nine position, driving from midfield positions and connecting with other players uncontested. On the right-hand side of their front three, Truffert kept joining in on attacks, being a threat going forward and linking up with Taverneir to bombard Araujo. For more dominant displays, the midfield three needs to be more intentional, with one player in the trio being a designated anchor bolstering the defensive presence. 

In the second half, the end-to-end nature of the game resumed with chances on both sides, and it was clear that both teams felt that they could leave the game with a result. The tide turned in Liverpool’s favour with Isak’s well-taken finish after a ball in from Gakpo. He showed composure and exemplary ball-striking technique in front of goal with the close-range shot. A lot of players were crashing the box, causing a scramble, and Isak now has 4 goals in 5 matches in the league, already surpassing his tally from last year. 

Despite conceding, Bournemouth didn’t shy away from attacking or lose confidence, with Evanilson testing Allison since the return from the break with a shot on target after a set piece. This difference from the Liverpool side from last year began to show after scoring; there was much less complacency and a stronger desire to protect the lead. Jeremy Jacquet was very solid at the back; his raw potential is still very clear, but partnering alongside the veteran van Dijk is beginning to show its benefits, especially with his ability to recover. 

Match Verdict

Liverpool enjoyed most of their success for the remainder of the second half when going through the middle, with Szoboszlai joining in with McCallister playing passes in behind.

Nyoni and Munoz came on for Barcola and Wirtz; Munoz provided some energy against tired legs, an important factor when closing out the game. The young player Nyoni impressed in his cameo, immediately being stuck in and involved as soon as he came on. Cody Gakpo’s performance will go under the radar, but he’s done exactly what he’s expected as a winger: creating chances going forward and coming short to be an option for outlet passes from Jacquet; he showed great skill and resilience to get the ball in for the assist as well. 

Barcola making himself available on the left helped stretch the pitch and bring some width to the game. Simultaneously, Isak began to take up excellent positions in the box. With the form he has started the season in, it felt as though it was only a matter of time before he found the back of the net. Trust in their ability is what our players struggled with the most last season, but this is beginning to fade, and the introduction of our new signings has elevated the standards. After creating space for himself with some trickery, Barcola had a good effort on target saved, a sign that he’s not afraid to go alone if needed. The service to Isak has improved greatly, and more chances on goal are being created as the Reds have fully grown into the game. 

Bournemouth were quite suffocating in the latter stages, attaining 79% of total possession at the 80-minute mark. Scott, Truffert and Jebbison started to create triangles on the left-hand side, building up possession to play crosses into Evanilson's path, but they found no success as Liverpool defended well. Attacks were absorbed well, and Liverpool did not relent to the pressure; the anxiety in the late stages of games last season led to conceding late, a trait that has seemed to have left the side. 

Player Ratings

Allison – 6.5

Kerkez – 5.5

Van Dijk – 6.0

Jacquet – 6.5

Araujo – 6.0

Wirtz – 5.0

McCallister – 6.5

Szobozslai – 6.0

Gakpo – 6.5

Barcola – 7.0

Isak – 7.5