This was Liverpool’s 14th win of the season, making them the only team in the Premier League to win two-thirds of their games. They won’t have long to bask in it, which may be why Klopp was quite exacting in his comments. They go again on Wednesday, taking a 2-1 lead to Fulham for the second leg of the Carabao semi-final. If they are this efficient again, they will sail through that, but they’re a young team and they showed in the first half here that a stumble is not out of the question. “When we have momentum,” Klopp said just now, “we’re good. When we don’t, we’re not.”
David Hytner has filed his match report from the south coast, so that’s my cue to clock off. Thanks for your company and correspondence, and sorry I didn’t get through it all. A game that was going nowhere suddenly turned into The Nunez and Jota Show, and it made riveting viewing.
A good point.
@TimdeLisle obviously Jota’s has the brace but VvD & Konaté have both been excellent/imperious/commanding etc. Konaté, particularly, several key blocks & tackles, and moved forward well (his ball starting the Nunez goal). His fitness is crucial to Liverpool’s title challenge.
— Bobson Dugnutt (@bobsondugnutt__) January 21, 2024
And here’s Jurgen Klopp, talking neunzehn to the dozen as usual. What was he pleased with? “Second half much better obviously…” But he’d rather talk about the things that went wrong. “Tricky circumstances, opponent in a good moment. Bad start from us… We went long when we should have passed, the left side was completely static… Second half we were much more fluid… An assist for Joe Gomez, by the way!”
The assist for Jota’s second has been given not to Jota himself, but to Conor Bradley, who is now adding an interview to a memorable PL debut. This is the dream from how old, he is asked. “From about five years old, I’d say,” he replies with a smile. If he didn’t have a beard, he wouldn't look much more than five.
With him is Jota, who sounds like a member of the coaching staff by comparison. “Great performance Carabao semi-final,” he says of Bradley. “Great performance here.”
So Liverpool extend their lead to five points, and do their goal difference a power of good. It is now 29, four more than Man City.
That was a triumph for Liverpool’s whole squad. The understudies at the back were good enough, Jota and Nunez at the the front were outstanding, and the kids who came off the bench were enterprising.
For Bournemouth, after a bright and bustling first ten minutes and a decent first half, the game turned into Snakes and Ladders. They slithered most of the way back to the doldrums where they spent the first quarter of the season. They’ve been so good recently, yet only when they drew at home with Aston Villa have they taken a point off the present top five. They’ve lost 3-1 and 4-0 to Liverpool, 6-1 to Man City, 4-0 to Arsenal, and 3-1 and 2-0 to Spurs. Man United may be wondering how they managed to lose 3-0 to them at Old Trafford.
FULL TIME! Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool (Nunez 2, Jota 2)
That was a game of two halves – one a stalemate, the other a rout. Liverpool, in the end, were far too good at finishing.
90+8 min The player of the match is Jota. He was very good, both fluent and ruthless, but then so was Nunez.
90+7 min Nunez is sniffing a hat-trick, but he gets a yellow card instead as he tracks back and administers a cynical shove.
90+5 min Chance for Bournemouth! Moments after a penalty shout for Liverpool, the ball is up the other end and Moore, running onto a through ball, goes closer than Bournemouth have gone all game.
Gomez swung in a fine cross from the right – who needs Trent? – and Nunez shrugged off two defenders to clip it home. If you’d never seen him before today, you’d think he was world-class.
GOAL! Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool (Nunez 90+3)
Oh, it’s just a perfect day.
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90 min There will be eight more minutes. Truly, Andrew Madley, that seems deeply unkind.
89 min Chance for Bournemouth! Brooks is clean through, looking to curl the ball past Alisson, but it comes off his toe (in the expert opinion of Alan Smith) and goes jagging out for a goal kick.
88 min Yet another corner to Bournemouth. Can they get a consolation goal? They cannot. Liverpool clear and the man haring down the left is Bobby Clark, who is confident enough to try a stepover. Meanwhile Aarons is going off with what looks like a strained hamstring, so poor old Bournemouth are down to ten men.
86 min As it stands, Liverpool are not just five points clear at the top – they’re also top for goal difference, with 26, one more than Man City.
83 min Klopp sees the chance to bring on a couple of kids: Bobby Clark, whose dad is Lee Clark of Newcastle, and Owen Beck, whose great-uncle is Ian Rush. If that doesn’t make you feel old, nothing will.
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Jota had just struck thin air, for once. There was just time to think “that’s not like him” when he pounced on the loose ball and slammed it into the far corner. So he may have to be given an assist as well as another goal. He’s such a good squad player.
GOAL! Bournemouth 0-3 Liverpool (Jota 80)
Jota, bloody hell.
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77 min Bournemouth win a corner, their eighth I make it, but as usual they don’t look like turning it into a goal.
“Manchester City’s ‘game in hand’ is against Ivan Toney,” says Rick Harris, helpfully supplying the single quotes himself. “And Brentford did the double on the Champions last season, so I would say a point would be a result for Kevin’s team.” Ha. They face each other twice in the next month, so another double is on.
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75 min Bournemouth get forward again down the left and win a free kick. They’ve shown plenty of spirit, but hardly any threat. Liverpool have shown that if you keep Solanke quiet, Bournemouth look a bit ordinary.
Again it was a team goal. Jota found Nunez, who did well to win a scrap 25 yards out. He slipped the ball to Gakpo, who passed it on to Jota, and his finish was typically decisive.
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GOAL! Bournemouth 0-2 Liverpool (Jota 70)
It’s in the bag.
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69 min Bournemouth bring on another sub – David Brooks for Justin Kluivert, who had his moments. Then Liverpool get into the box and Gravenbearch has a low shot, easily saved.
66 min Two 20-year-olds get into a scrap and the upshot is a yellow card for Conor Bradley, possibly for a high kick, as Alex Scott goes down in a heap.
On another tack… “Greetings from Gent in Belgium!” says Kim Thonger. “A marvellous long slow slap up lunch has been enjoyed, and the pièce de résistance was the dessert, Zabaglione Al Marsala.
“My question is, has there ever been a footballer named Zabaglione Al Marsala? And if not, for heaven’s sake why not? It’s a commentator’s dream. ‘Sherry Trifle sends in an inch perfect pass to Eton Mess, he slips it to Zabaglione Al Marsala, who slots it home with panache’. See?”
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63 min A Bournemouth corner brings only a galloping Liverpool counter, which turns out to have everything but the final ball. And here come the Liverpool subs: the only big names on their bench, Gravenberch and Gakpo, replace Elliott and Diaz.
60 min As the sand runs out in the hour glass, Bournemouth get forward for the first time in a while with Kluivert spraying the ball to wide to Tavernier, who has a shot that is instantly stifled. Meanwhile Jurgen Klopp is lining up some subs.
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59 min Bradley, still in the thick of it on his Premier League debut, draws a foul from Lewis Cook, who goes into the book. The Liverpool players felt there were some afters too.
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58 min As it stands, Liverpool are five points ahead of Man City, who have a game in hand – the home fixture against Brentford that was postponed last month. That isn’t happening till 20 February.
56 min Iraola, seeing his team struggle, does something about it. Off go Sinisterra and Hill, on come Alex Scott and Lloyd Kelly.
55 min Bradley is still looking rueful about that chance when he gets another one, a shot that’s blocked. More has happened in ten minutes since half-time than in the whole of the first half.
51 min So the leaders lead. But Bournemouth bounce back, with a decent chance for Kluivert, whose shot is deflected wide. It’s end to end now. Jota thinks he should have a penalty, but there’s nothing in it, Nunez turns provider, sending a lovely chip over to Bradley, who might have scored if he was used to this sort of thing.
It was all too easy for Liverpool. Elliott went back to Konate, who went long to Jones in space near the D. He found Jota, who saw that Nunez had a clear run down the middle. His finish was disarmingly calm.
GOAL! Bournemouth 0-1 Liverpool (Nunez 49)
The deadlock is broken!
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46 min All the recorded shots in the first half, bar one, were from outside the box. Gomez adds to that collection now with a speculative effort that is easily blocked. He has never scored a Premier League goal.
46 min Liverpool kick off, but it’s Bournemouth who look sharp and get forward. Christie and Solanke can’t quite join the dots.
Andoni Iraola is giving an interview. “I think there have been spaces,” he says. “Strong words from me there, we have to be really aggressive with the second [balls]… We finished well in the first half, second half the game will open out… We have to suffer.”
“I know the wind is blowing hard,” says Joe Pearson, “but is it going in a particular direction, or just swirling? The longer passes have been almost uniformly dreadful.” I wish I could tell you! It’s not easy to tell on the telly. The Met Office says it’s coming from the south-south-west… or does SSW mean southerly and swirling?
“Has a club ever been docked points,” asks Johnathan Kaszynski, “because of their TV camera angle?” Haha. Bournemouth’s is certainly on the low side. But maybe that means the camerapeople are safe in the wind.
“I think of Liverpool and Bournemouth as two of the most dynamic teams in the Premier League,” says Kári Tulinius, “but the play, so far, has been very slack. I thought the players would be replenished by having a week off, but mentally they seem like they’re still in warm weather training.” Yes, and the wind isn’t helping.
“We’re living in an era,” says Rupak Pramanik, “where Bournemouth with 37% possession looks very much entertaining and threatening, contrary to Man Utd with 37% possession.” Ha. They did get a 0-0 off Liverpool too.
“I know players aren’t supposed to surround the referee and complain,” says Luke Jones. “But… I have a feeling that Kluivert would have been sent off if the Liverpool players had shown a bit more outrage at that tackle. It’s probably hard for the VAR to call that a red card when Liverpool just kept playing and Jones even dribbled right past Diaz as he was rolling around on the ground in apparent agony.” Perhaps a reflection of a less experienced Liverpool team. But it’s good that they got on with the game, isn’t it?
In other news, Bayern Munich have lost! At home to Werder Bremen, which is like Liverpool losing this game (if it was at Anfield).
HALF-TIME! Bournemouth 0-0 Liverpool
Still no goals, and no big chances either. Bournemouth won the first ten minutes and the last five; Liverpool were the better team for half an hour for so in the middle; neither keeper broke sweat. Mo and Trent, if you’re reading this, we miss you.
45+1 min Only two mins of added time, which seems a little stingy. Bournemouth get forward again, winning a couple of throw-ins on the left wing. Donate again gets his head to the ball first, and that will be that for now.
45 min More glimmers of hope for the home fans. Solanke twists and turns and plays a cut-back to nobody. Sinisterra ducks and weaves and plays a great cross, but Solanke finds a team mate barging in front of him at the vital moment. Then Liverpool steal the ball with their mid-press and win a corner. Elliott’s cross finds Konate, who can’t keep the header down.
44 min Bournemouth break out from the back and Elliott is sufficiently bothered to bring down Solanke in the centre circle. Still no cards.
42 min Bournemouth get in the box again, only to find Van Dijk blocking their way, literally. He blocks a shot from Kluivert and then he blocks a shot from Christie.
40 min The pendulum of possession has truly swung: it was 59-41 to Bournemouth, now it’s 63-37 to Liverpool. But Bournemouth are carving an opening after a fine ball out to the right wing from Christie. He keeps going and gets on the end of the cross, but there’s no power in his shot.
38 min Jota plays what might have been the cross of the day, a lovely little roll across the six-yard box, but it’s just behind the advancing Nunez.
36 min Now Diaz is down, after Kluivert, emerging from a one-on-one with Mac Allister, stepped on his ankle. Klopp has a friendly word with the fourth official. “In between yellow and red,” reckons Alan Smith. No card as far as I can tell, and Diaz is back on his feet.
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34 min Liverpool string some more passes together. Jones collides with Tavernier and they both go down, but then they both get up again. Liverpool keep on passing. The latest person to take a long shot is Diaz, who doesn’t middle it or bother Neto.
32 min After taking ten minutes off, Bournemouth are back at their desk. Sinisterra sets off on a mazy run down the left, beating three defenders, then twisting and turning so much that he confuses himself.
31 min Liverpool threaten again as Diaz’s cross invites a scissor kick from Nunez. He accepts the invitation but misses the kick, then takes it out on the nearest defender and commits a cheap foul.
30 min As the half-hour comes up, it’s all Liverpool. The busy Elliott slips in the dangerous Diaz, who can’t quite gather it. Of the last 65 passes, 58 have been by players wearing white, black and random bits of green.
27 min Van Dijk out jumps everyone else but can only back-head the ball towards the touchline, perhaps because of a deflection. Liverpool keep the ball and pass it around. Diaz, now on the left, gets a cross in that Nunez, now in the middle, can’t reach, even with his pony tail.
26 min Liverpool’s progress continues with their first corner. Elliott fires it in, someone heads it out, Bradley crosses it back in, and Bournemouth shovel it away for another corner.
25 min Liverpool have another shot! Again it’s a long one, as Nunez tries to test Neto, but the strike isn’t as strong as the wind and the keeper is up to the challenge of dealing with them both.
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24 min Nunez’s eyes light up as he comes storming in from the left, but after evading two defenders he is robbed by a third.
23 min Liverpool win a free kick 25 yards out … but it’s a poor one, curling straight out of play.
21 min Liverpool make a habit of finishing games more strongly than they started them. But Jurgen Klopp, who uses his subs so well, doesn’t have one today aged 25+. On the bench, the father of the house is Cody Gakpo, who is 24.
19 min LIVERPOOL HAVE HAD A SHOT! Alexis Mac Allister has a go from 25 yards, and misses.
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18 min Bournemouth get into the box, twice, without managing to trouble the stats people.
17 min Liverpool finally get the ball for a while. Elliott, running down the inside-right channel, cuts back to Gomez, whose cross goes straight out. They’re missing Trent quite badly, but they are warming to the task.
16 min The only shot so far, that rather oblique effort by Tavernier, has not gone down in the official records. If a shot isn’t spotted by the stats people, did it ever happen?
13 min Nunez, who is on the left wing, send a fine switch over to the Liverpool right. But instead of Salah and Alexander-Arnold, that flank consists of Diaz and Bradley. Diaz fiddles about, looking for an opening. Bradley overlaps behind him but goes unnoticed, and the move fizzles out.
12 min Bournemouth have a chance to send Solanke through, but they mess it up. That’s the first time they’ve looked like a team from the lower half off the table.
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10 min Bournemouth have had 59pc of the possession, although that may change soon as Liverpool are showing signs of life in midfield.
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8 min This time Liverpool do escape. For a moment they have a three on two, but again Bournemouth stay calm at the back and Christie puts the fire out.
7 min Quarter-chance! Tavernier takes the corner short then shoots himself and goes close from a tight angle.
6 min Liverpool get forward at last as Jones and Jota threaten to cook something up down the left. But soon the ball is up the other end with Solanke racing onto a long throw. Another corner to Bournemouth.
4 min Bournemouth are also ahead in the sartorial stakes. Liverpool are wearing white shirts (with random green bits) and black shorts. Bournemouth are in there classic red-and-black stripes. No contest.
3 min Nothing comes of the second corner either, but when Liverpool try to get out on the counter, Chris Mepham is there to tidy up in composed fashion.
2 min The corner leads to some scrapping and another corner. Bournemouth are not remotely overawed.
1 min Bournemouth kick off, go long and get forward right away. Kluivert wins a corner on the right.
The cameras home in on Dominic Solanke, one of the best players in the Prem this season. And the one with the most shots (66). If he was still at Liverpool, he’d be playing today.
There’s another unfamiliar name on the lips of the commentators: Storm Isha. The wind is swirling around the ground. Can Liverpool’s big names do it on a blustery Sunday evening on the south coast?
Apparently we’re witnessing the closest title race, at this stage of the season, “for over 20 years”. Sky have just announced that without giving chapter and verse on what happened then. But it certainly is tasty, with only five points separating the top five teams. Can Liverpool stretch that to eight? We will soon see.
The sentence of the day comes from Rob Smyth, covering the other game. “David Moyes stomps off,” he writes, “with a face like the apocalypse.”
Oli McBurnie put the penalty away, so Sheffield United escape with a draw. It’s McBurnie time! They remain bottom of the table, but have reached double figures at last with 10 points from 21 games. West Ham stay sixth with 35 from 21 and miss the chance to make up significant ground on Spurs (40 from 21) or heap further embarrassment on Man United (32 from 21).
An odd feature of today’s games is that none of the four teams involved were in a position to move up or down the table. Whatever happens at the Vitality Stadium Liverpool will stay top, at least two points ahead of Man City for the moment. And Bournemouth will stay 12th, as they’re three points behind Wolves with a decidedly worse goal difference (-7 plays -1).
Twelfth, though, is riches for a team who were 19th on 20 October. After scraping three points from their first eight games, Bournemouth have raked in 22 from the past 11.
In today’s other game, Sheffield United are about to take a penalty in the 12th minute of added time … Do join Rob Smyth to see what happens next.
Pre-match reading
Can Liverpool stop City winning the title? Sachin Nakrani has been pondering that question and looking at the way Jurgen Klopp has revamped the midfield. Jordan who?
The wingers may be licking their lips
The unfamiliar names in those XIs are all at full-back. For Liverpool, the roles of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson (and Kostas Tsimikas) go to their understudies, Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez. For Bournemouth, the roles of Adam Smith and Milos Kerkez go to Max Aarons and James Hill, who has spent most of the season on loan at Blackburn. Hill is a centre-back, so it may be that Andoni Iraola is switching to a back three.
The teams
Bournemouth (possible 4-2-3-1) Neto; Aarons, Mepham, Zabarnyi, Hill; Cook, Christie; Sinisterra, Tavernier, Kluivert; Solanke.
Subs: Travers, Kelly, Greenwood, Marcondes, Scott, Brooks, Billing, Kilkenny, Moore.
Liverpool (forever 4-3-3) Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Diaz.
Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Quansah, Beck, McConnell, Clark, Gravenberch, Gakpo.
Referee Andrew Madley.
Preamble
Afternoon everyone and welcome to the teatime MBM. Premier League football is a simple game: 20 teams chase a trophy for nine months and then Man City win. Unless Jurgen Klopp can stop them.
There’s a widespread feeling that City have it in the bag again, after toying with us by getting only seven points from a run of six games before the Club World Cup. But they’re not top of the form table (which covers the last six games for every club) – Liverpool are. In fact, City are not even second: Bournemouth are.
After a sticky start Andoni Iraola has built on Gary O’Neil’s good work and got Bournemouth flying. His team know how to win, play proper football, and have gone from bad to excellent at home. Liverpool’s away form has improved too, going from middling to more than decent, but today they’re without their two most lethal weapons, Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Opta algorithm gives Bournemouth only a 15pc chance of a win today, but a mere human says it might make sense to double that.
Kick-off is at 4.30pm GMT and I’ll be back soon with the teams.
