Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool: The Big Match Review
By Steven Northover
I wrote the preview for the Bournemouth match, and off the back of a particularly stellar performance against Marseille, I was more than confident against a team that had won once in the last six league games before yesterday….
The game started in a fairly upbeat fashion for the Reds, Bournemouth were forced to sit further and further back, and spent most of the first 20 minutes or so largely encamped on the edge of their own penalty area.
But despite chances for Mo Salah (on his return for Liverpool following Afcon), Florian Wirtz, and Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool weren't able to make any kind of breakthrough, allowing the Cherries to slowly scratch out their own chances.
Finally, it all came crashing down at 26 minutes when Virgil Van Dijk (who had arguably his worst performance for Liverpool) lazily swiped at a long ball in the penalty area, with Evanilson sweeping and slotting home from the resultant air shot.
Meanwhile, Joe Gomez went down injured after a coming together with Alison Becker, with both players attempting to intercept the ball before it went in.
With no recognised central defenders on the bench (Ibrahima Konate is currently out, following the death of his father), Wataro Endo - in just his sixth league appearance this season - was called on to replace Gomez.
What followed was possibly the most bizarre period of play for Liverpool this term. Despite being down to ten men, and despite the 32-year-old Japan international being ready to come on, Liverpool seemed unwilling to put the ball out of play - despite orders from manager Arne Slot to do so.
Thus, inevitably, Bournemouth got their second, seven minutes later, when Evanilson - a real livewire up front for Bournemouth all match - was deemed to be just onside in a foot race between himself and Van Dijk.
Once Endo was on the pitch, Liverpool regained some level of defence rigidity, and after a period of, largely self-made, frailty, the match returned to style as the first 20 minutes: Liverpool attacked with Bournemouth soaking those attacks, and counting soon after.
Florian Wirtz dragged a ranged shot wide, in a period of the game where Liverpool genuinely did show some really good interplay and close quarters passing that should really have been on show for the whole match.
Liverpool's reward was a headed Van Dijk goal from a Szoboszlai corner. Given the cut and thrust of the match overall, it was probably a goal Liverpool deserved, despite their overall performance.
Into the second half, and despite playing the same 4-2-2-2 formation that had been so successful in France, in Bournemouth, it meant that for large periods of the game Liverpool lacked a central attacking player to feed off the passes and movement of other players with the Red's only halftime substitute was Andy Robertson (possibly for the last time) coming on for Milos Kerkez.
With no central fulcrum in attack, Liverpool were restricted to the wingplaters (Gakpo and Salah) using the place to pass to any advanced midfielder, and hope that they were able to get a shot.
It wasn't until the 60th minute that Slot bought Curtis Jones on for Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike for a largely anonymous Alexia Mac Allister. This meant that Dominik Szoboszlai was moved back into defence, causing Liverpool's main creative player to be nullified in open play.
It was only fourteen minutes later, when the extremely exciting Rio Ngumoha was introduced for Coady Gakpo, that Liverpool regained some of that spark that had seen them grow in the second half.
So it was inevitable that it was the 17-year-old who won the freekick that led to the equalising goal. Once again, it was Liverpool's ‘player of the season’ who was able to come up with the goods to score a clever one-two with Salah and then curl the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
At 2-2, Liverpool should have had the placing and footing to go on and win the game - even if there was around ten minutes of normal time remaining.
Instead, similar to the second goal, the Reds seemed to rest on their laurels, as if expecting the win despite not really putting much effort into going for it.
Despite having a number of chances to win the game, it was Bournemouth who were able to find the 95th minute winner.
Amine Adil took full advantage of Liverpool's inability to get control of the ball in the penalty area, to rake in the winner from two yards out.
It was a win that Bournemouth deserved, with all Liverpool's failings on show this season in the one match. But nothing was helped by Liverpool in essence coming into the game without a recognised striker in the starting lineup- and that is an oversight that should be set squarely at the manager.
But none of the players helped the situation.
Like I said earlier, Van Dijk had his worst performance for Liverpool, whilst Salah appears to be in the same performance rut that dogged him before he left for the Afcon.
One of the contributing factors that Arne Slot put forward for the performance was that the squad were ‘’tired’, which is just a reflection on the Dutchman's continuing reliance on a small number of players and largely ignoring the rest.
Some of that can't be helped - Isak being out until March, for example - but Liverpool have three players who can comfortably play on the right wing, however, it seems that Mo Salah is the only player to be guaranteed a start - despite his outburst at Leeds.
Questions will once again be asked about the Dutchman's future at the club, and whilst (after some thought, post match) I don't think he'll be shown the door midseason, the lack of urgency within the club - from the players, the managers and the board - appears to show that, as a club, this season is a ‘writeoff’, and there's every chance that there will be even more changes in the summer.