John Brewin was at Dean Court, and his report is in. Thanks for reading this MBM!
A very content Gary O’Neil talks to BT. “A big result obviously. I’m smiling. I haven’t smiled that much after games recently, but that’s been coming. Manchester City, Arsenal, we didn’t take anything from. But today fine margins went in our favour and we beat one of the best teams in England. They left everything out there. I answered a lot of questions last week about whether there’d be a hangover from the late Arsenal goal. The lads showed my answer for 90 minutes. We’re competitive, and as the lads deserved, it went their way. We were well organised. I have belief, so if the boys didn’t believe me already, they can believe me after today!”
A downcast Jurgen Klopp speaks to BT. “What can I say? It was never really our game. We played balls at the wrong moment against a compact side. The spaces we had to play were super open, but we didn’t use them enough. We didn’t enjoy the challenge of facing a deep and compact side. We didn’t defend well. We missed the penalty, and after that were in a real rush. We didn’t create enough. It’s completely hypothetical but if we scored [the penalty] the game could turn. It doesn’t make the performance better but could have changed the result at least. [Salah] scores a lot of goals, he missed a penalty, that’s life. It was clear from the moment we came here that Bournemouth would fight to stay in the league. Wonderful club, wonderful city, they are doing really well. The results were not going well but the performances were different and so they deserved the three points today.”
As for Liverpool, whose astonishing victory last weekend led to revived hopes of a top-four finish? They now travel to the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid will almost certainly put them out of their Champions League misery, before upcoming Premier League games against Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Leeds. With the Match of the Day pundits on the picket line, let’s get some analysis from one of tomorrow night’s Oscar hopefuls instead:
As for the penalty award – which didn’t cost Bournemouth in the end - Adam Smith says: “Even some of the Liverpool lads said it’s a bit harsh … I’m jumping, I can’t see the ball … I don’t know how I’m meant to stop that … maybe a little bit of justice that they missed it!”
Bournemouth deserved that all right … and what a response to the heartbreak they suffered last week at Arsenal. They were determined in defence, and dangerous in attack. Liverpool couldn’t handle Dango Ouattara – named player of the match by Jermaine Jenas on BT Sport – or their former player Dominic Solanke. The match-winner Philip Billing and Jaidon Anthony weren’t half bad either. Billing tells BT: “We had to be diligent today … after last weekend was a heartbreak for everybody … we tried to deliver the same … we have done it loads all season and it paid off today.”
Updated
FULL TIME: Bournemouth 1-0 Liverpool
A huge – and hugely deserved – win for Bournemouth, who leapfrog their way off the bottom and out of the relegation zone!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | AFC Bournemouth | 26 | -26 | 24 |
| 17 | West Ham | 25 | -10 | 23 |
| 18 | Leeds | 25 | -11 | 22 |
| 19 | Everton | 26 | -19 | 22 |
| 20 | Southampton | 25 | -21 | 21 |
Updated
90 min +4: Alisson sends a long pass down the right. The ball drops to Gakpo, who swivels only to send his screamer over the bar. Liverpool’s last chance gone. The Bournemouth fans are in party mode now!
Updated
90 min +3: Jota crosses from the left. Kelly heads away from the lurking Salah and Vita dribbles upfield. He eventually loses possession in the middle of the Liverpool half, but the clock ticks on. It’s on Bournemouth’s side!
90 min +2: Bournemouth continue to look disciplined and calm. Liverpool are doing nothing.
90 min +1: Semenyo romps down the left before bobbling a shot across Alisson and wide right.
90 min: There will be five more minutes for Bournemouth to hold out. A huge three points on offer if they can do it!
89 min: Milner loops in a cross from the right. Neto misses his punch. Gakpo prepares to hook over his own shoulder but gets it all wrong. Bournemouth clear their lines.
88 min: Solanke is replaced by Semenyo, while Anthony makes way for Vina.
87 min: Carvalho comes on for Bajcetic.
86 min: Milner hoicks into the Bournemouth box from the right. Easy for Neto. “This is the perfect time to put on Origi!” shouts Joe Pearson. “What? Oh.”
85 min: Liverpool with more of the sterile domination. “Well done Gary Lineker for standing up for refugees and also reminding us indirectly how the world failed 85 years ago in Europe,” writes Jeff Sax.
83 min: Christie dribbles hard down the left and works enough space for a shot. Alisson claims at his near stick. “Go Gary!” writes Steve Horne. “Top bloke.”
82 min: Salah takes up possession on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, but he’s got his back to goal and, swarmed, can’t sort his feet out to either turn or shoot.
Updated
80 min: Bournemouth make a double change, swapping out Lerma and the injured Smith for Fredericks and Cook.
78 min: Solanke drives down the inside-left channel and threatens to break clear. Van Dijk, who on the whole has been poor today, finds a little of the old magic and shepherds the striker out of play, the danger nullified.
77 min: The tension in the ground is palpable, though the Bournemouth players don’t look nervous. They’re keeping Liverpool at arm’s length. Meanwhile Mary Waltz writes: “In these dark times it raises my spirit to see the solidarity of Gary’s fellow presenters’ response to the craven cowardly actions of the BBC chiefs following the orders of their Tory masters. Hold the line boys!!!!!”
75 min: Solanke spins Konate in the middle of the park and is hauled down for his trouble. Konate quite correctly goes into the book.
74 min: Liverpool stroke it around, but it’s all sterile stuff in the middle of the park. Bournemouth are very comfortable right now.
72 min: Bournemouth ping some pretty triangles down the left and suddenly Anthony is sent scampering into a bit of space. Milner sticks to him doggedly, and eventually wrests control. That’s fine defending by the old boy, because for a second there, Bournemouth appeared to be in behind.
70 min: Salah smiles ruefully. That was one wild penalty! Billing is replaced by Christie.
Updated
69 min: Salah gives Neto the eyes, sends him the wrong way, aims for the top-left corner … and misses it by a Waddlesque mile!
Updated
Penalty for Liverpool!
68 min: Referee John Brooks is sent over to the screen. He doesn’t need to stare at it for too long. He draws a TV in the air and points to the spot. Salah will take.
67 min: Milner strides down the right and stands one up for Jota at the far post. Jota heads towards the top left. It’s heading in, but pings off Smith’s arm … an arm that’s hanging out to the side. VAR will take a look. The only thing that may save Smith is proximity.
Updated
66 min: A triple change by Liverpool. Fabinho, Alexander-Arnold and a disappointed Nunez are replaced by Henderson, Milner and Firmino.
65 min: Space for Ouattara out right. He crosses deep. Billing shapes to volley at the far stick … and whiffs fresh air.
64 min: Solanke, once of Liverpool, heads clear. “One job. That’s all they had to do. I’ve found a new way to loathe Liverpool. John FitzGerald, Evertonian.”
63 min: Some space for Gakpo down the right. He’s looked Liverpool’s most likely. He earns a corner. Robertson to take.
Updated
61 min: The game suddenly opens up. Rothwell drives at the Liverpool backline only to hesitate. He’s swarmed and Fabinho nicks the ball from him. Gakpo takes over and strides down the middle. He reaches the edge of the box and attempts to slip Salah into it down the right. He clanks his pass into the nearest defender. A shot was probably the wisest option there. He’d certainly earned the right after eating up so much of the pitch.
60 min: Billing curls towards the far post. Senesi is in space, but misses his header from six yards. Goal kick.
59 min: Bournemouth take their sweet time over a throw. Classic game-management moves. Then they suddenly take it up a notch, Lerma crossing from the left and forcing Konate to eyebrow out for a corner on the right.
57 min: Robertson barrels down the left and slips Nunez into space. The flag pops up for offside. That’s pretty sloppy by both players. On the touchline, Klopp performs the internationally recognised mime for Get Your Gamefaces On For The Love Of God. He’s not happy.
55 min: Robertson presses down the left, but Ouattara and Billing stand strong. No way through on this side either. You’d understand if the home fans were quiet and nervous – the three points would be so precious – but they’re enjoying this very much.
53 min: Salah probes down the right but is forced to turn tail. Bournemouth are holding their shape very impressively, as they patiently wait for an opportunity to counter. No way through.
51 min: Gakpo goes on another run, draws another foul, and another Bournemouth player goes into the book. It’s Anthony this time, for a tug on Gakpo’s arm.
50 min: At the corner, Van Dijk clumsily clatters around the box and is eventually penalised for bumping into one man too many.
49 min: … so having said that, Jota immediately drives down the middle, opens his body, and aims for the top right. It’s tipped out for a corner by Neto’s excellent save.
48 min: You’d imagine Liverpool have been told to move through the gears. They’ve not obviously picked up the pace, though.
46 min: Gakpo drops deep and romps down the middle of the park. He’s clipped by Billing, who goes into the book. From the resulting free kick, a game of head tennis breaks out in the Bournemouth box. When the ball finally returns to earth, Konate blooters it miles over the bar. Better from Liverpool, though it’s a low bar.
Bournemouth get the second half underway. “One out, all out!” cries Matt Dony. “Liverpool clearly downing tools in solidarity with Lineker et al. Good to see.” With a different sort of direct action in mind, Klopp has replaced Elliott with Jota.
Half-time reading … because there’s bugger all to listen to on the radio.
HALF TIME: Bournemouth 1-0 Liverpool
The whistle goes for the break. As Jurgen Klopp storms down the tunnel, Billing gets up in the ref’s grille regarding the penalty claim. The ref waves him away. Billing doesn’t protest too much, with Bournemouth more than happy with their lot as they go for their half-time oranges. They’ve been excellent. Liverpool, not so much.
45 min: VAR has a look, though, but spots that Billing went over because he’d accidentally stood on Konate’s boot as the defender extended his leg. No previous contact, so we play on.
44 min: Solanke bosses Van Dijk in an aerial duel on the edge of the Liverpool box. Billing chases after the dropping ball and attempts to burst into the area. He goes over Konate and claims a penalty. The referee’s not interested.
Updated
42 min: Konate, under pressure from the incessant Ouattara, is forced to slide out for a corner on the right. Liverpool don’t clear their lines properly, and Senesi, on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, is able to cut back for Solanke, who aims for the top left. Over the bar it flies. Decent chance, that.
Updated
41 min: Robertson curls it long. Van Dijk rises highest at the far stick, only to head it weakly wide left. He should have hit the target at the very least. He probably should have scored. He claims to have been tugged by Smith, but there really wasn’t much in the garden-variety grapple.
Updated
40 min: Konate morphs into Garrincha and strides off down the right wing. He’s eventually skittled from behind by Lerma, who is slightly fortunate not to go into the book. A free kick, though, and a chance for everyone to line up on the edge of the Bournemouth box.
38 min: Some space for Nunez on the left. His deep cross flies straight out for a goal kick. Liverpool started really well, but have fallen off dramatically in the last 20 minutes or so.
36 min: Ouattara is causing Liverpool all sorts of problems down the right. He swings in a ball for Solanke, who can’t connect on the edge of the box. Alisson claims. Had Solanke managed to get a boot on the ball, it would have flown past Alisson and into the net with extreme prejudice. Not a million miles away from the half-chance Marcus Rashford had at Anfield last week, if anyone remembers that match, given it suddenly seems a long time ago.
35 min: Fabinho hoicks wildly high and wide from 25 yards. The home fans whoop and holler. They’re in good voice right now, and why not? As things stand, they’ll be out of the relegation places later today, for a while at least.
33 min: David Brooks goes for a warm-up on the touchline. The entire stadium sings his name, delighted to see him back. A lovely moment.
32 min: Salah dribbles into the Bournemouth box from the right. It’s a decent slalom, but there’s one defender too many to beat. The hosts shut the door and clear.
31 min: More good news for Bournemouth: Liverpool have lost seven of the last 12 matches in which they’ve conceded first.
29 min: There’s a VAR check for offside. Had Ouattara gone too soon? It’s tight, and he looks ahead of Van Dijk … but Konate was playing him on in the middle. The goal stands!
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-0 Liverpool (Billing 28)
Ouattara bursts clear down the right. This time he isn’t thinking about shooting. He bombs down the wing and crosses low. Billing races in and sidefoots home from six yards. Easy as that!
Updated
26 min: Rothwell takes. Nunez heads clear. Seconds later, the ball is back at Neto’s feet, to the audible frustration of the home fans.
25 min: Billing drives in from the left and prepares to shoot from 25 yards. Konate slides in and looks to have got the ball first, but the referee says he caught the man. Free kick, which Konate deals with by heading over his own bar. Bournemouth prepare to take their first corner of the match.
24 min: Bournemouth have done well in the last few minutes. They’ve quietened Liverpool down a bit, and are seeing more of the ball.
Updated
22 min: Lerma pings out to Anthony on the left. Anthony passes infield first time to release Ouattara, who reaches the edge of the box, cocks his leg back to shoot, and … is brushed aside by Van Dijk, who toes out for a corner. Then the flag goes up for offside. Had Ouattara scored, VAR may have had some work to do, because that looked tight.
20 min: Anthony sends Billing into space on the left. Billing whistles a dangerous low cross into the Liverpool box. Alisson does very well to get down and handle confidently, with red-and-black shirts waiting to take advantage of any spill.
19 min: Bajcetic and Lerma battle in the centre circle. A hard but fair tussle. Lerma wins this one, Bajcetic conceding a free kick after getting a little too excitable. A decent duel.
Updated
17 min: Salah crosses from the right. The ball drops to Alexander-Arnold, racing in from the left. He meets it … and shanks it, sending it flying in entirely the wrong direction. The crowd enjoyed that.
16 min: One corner from the right leads to another, which leads to one on the left. Alexander-Arnold takes. Bournemouth clear this time. Liverpool are looking lively.
15 min: Elliott slides a clever pass down the inside-right channel for Alexander-Arnold, who whips a low cross into the box. With Salah lurking, Kelly has to extend a leg to block. The ball nearly pings into the top right. Side netting. A corner.
13 min: Van Dijk’s long pass down the left finds Robertson in a bit of space. He enters the box and lashes a low drive goalwards. Neto gets down to save well. Liverpool come again. Elliott crosses from the right. Nunez cushions a header towards Gakpo, who slams home from close range … but he doesn’t bother celebrating because he’s clearly offside. The flag goes up to confirm.
12 min: Nunez sends a bobbler straight at Neto from 25 yards. Easy for the keeper. This game has a lovely open feel to it.
11 min: Liverpool win a corner on the left. It’s cleared easily by the hosts, who attempt to counter. Elliott wins a crucial header on the halfway line; had he not done so, Solanke would have been able to run clear down the right.
9 min: Solanke, bustling in the centre circle, plays a cute ball down the inside-right channel to release Ouattara, who enters the box and rounds Alisson on the right. But the keeper’s pushed him well wide right, and he can only slash the ball into the side netting. In a parallel universe somewhere, it’s already 1-1.
Updated
8 min: Neto hovers over a simple clearance and is nearly chased down by Gakpo. He’s forced to hack away in a panic. Alexander-Arnold then finds Nunez on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Nunez can’t turn and shoot. Bournemouth clear.
6 min: Alexander-Arnold wins the first corner of the afternoon down the right, and takes it himself. An outswinger. Van Dijk rises high at the far stick and plants a superb diagonal header towards the top right. It’s flying in, but Lerma, on the line, makes an outrageously good headed clearance to save a certain goal. A second corner comes to nought. What wonderful football all round!
Updated
5 min: Nunez powers his way past Smith on the left flank. He cuts back for Gakpo, who rolls across the front of the Bournemouth box for Salah. A first-time sidefoot is easily snaffled by Neto. A decent enough move, though.
Updated
3 min: Van Dijk goes long in the hope of releasing Salah down the middle. Too long. Neto gathers on the edge of his box.
2 min: Elliott, who was magnificent against Manchester United last weekend, prepares to skitter away from Lerma and attack the box, but Fabinho is adjudged to have clipped the Bournemouth midfielder seconds before.
Liverpool kick off. It’s very cold everywhere, and the south coast is no exception.
It’s Saturday, it’s nearly 12.30 … and the teams are out! Bournemouth play in their AC Milan inspired red-and-black stripes, while Liverpool wear their Groove Is In The Heart influenced tops. Tell you what, that Deee-Lite bassline is nearly as funky as this …
… which just sprung to mind for no particular reason. We’ll be off in a minute!
A reminder that there’s some other hot action going on right now. Looks like Richard, Tim and Sir Robbie might have lost the green room.
Jurgen Klopp speaks to BT. “Each Premier League game is a super-tough test and we are long enough in this league to know that … I cannot remember a day when my team did not respect the opponent … we didn’t play always well, it’s true, but the respect was always there and that’s what we have to make sure is there today … it is always about attitude … if the attitude is right then it about the football, but if the attitude is not right then the football is not decisive any more because we have a problem … this has nothing to do with the last game, or the next game, it’s just this game which is difficult enough … we have to make our own game and hopefully we can do that.”
Gary O’Neil speaks to BT Sport. “We’ve freshened it up a little bit from the team at Arsenal … it’s a huge day for Mark Brooks, he’s worked so hard and has been through an awful lot, so we’re just delighted to get him back … expectation needs to be managed, there’s still a part of the journey for Brooksy to complete, but it’s obviously a huge lift for everyone and I’m delighted for David … no matter who comes, we’re in a position where we have to find a way … against Manchester City we came up a bit short, did that at Arsenal and came up a bit short, so hopefully we can give it a similar performance and find a way to hopefully come out on top … the 9-0 hasn’t been relevant at all, the initial fall-out at Arsenal, the lads needed some help, but this week, eyes were on Liverpool … we know we’re in a relegation fight and need points.”
A reminder of where these teams sit in the Premier League. Liverpool are making a 2021-style late run for a top-four spot …
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 26 | 34 | 63 |
| 2 | Man City | 26 | 41 | 58 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 25 | 6 | 49 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 26 | 10 | 45 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 25 | 19 | 42 |
… while Bournemouth are currently bottom, though a win today would see them leapfrog Southampton, Everton and Leeds and out of the relegation zone, if only for a couple of hours.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | West Ham | 25 | -10 | 23 |
| 17 | Leeds | 25 | -11 | 22 |
| 18 | Everton | 26 | -19 | 22 |
| 19 | Southampton | 25 | -21 | 21 |
| 20 | AFC Bournemouth | 25 | -27 | 21 |
Bournemouth make three changes to the starting XI in the wake of the 3-2 defeat at Arsenal. Jefferson Lerma, Lloyd Kelly and Jaidon Anthony come in for Chris Mepham, Jordan Zemura and Antoine Semenyo. There’s also some very happy news: David Brooks is thankfully back to full health and is in the matchday squad for the first time in 525 days.
Liverpool make one change to the side that started the 7-0 rout of Manchester United. Stefan Bajcetic replaces Jordan Henderson. Liverpool also welcome back a long-lost team-mate in Arthur Melo, who takes a place on the bench.
The teams
Bournemouth: Neto, Stephens, Kelly, Smith, Senesi, Lerma, Ouattara, Anthony, Rothwell, Billing, Solanke, Rothwell.
Subs: Travers, Fredericks, Cook, Mepham, Brooks, Christie, Vina, Moore, Semenyo.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Vin Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Bajcetic, Elliott, Salah, Nunez, Gakpo.
Subs: Adrian, Milner, Firmino, Henderson, Jota, Tsimikas, Carvalho, Melo, Matip.
📝 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 📝
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) March 11, 2023
🔺 Brooks back in squad
🔺 Kelly returns to line up
🔺 Lerma also in from the off
Our line up for #BOULIV 👊👊 pic.twitter.com/uevnWT4jzb
⚪ #BOULIV TEAM NEWS ⚪
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 11, 2023
Here's how we line up to take up on AFC Bournemouth today!
Preamble
Last weekend, Liverpool beat Manchester United, one of the most in-form teams in Europe, by seven goals to nil. The last time they played Bournemouth, their opponents this lunchtime, they won by nine. Tot up the score of the last seven games between the Reds and the Cherries, and it’s 28-1 to Jurgen Klopp’s men. Fair to say that Liverpool, a top-four finish within their grasp again, are hot favourites to win today against relegation-haunted opponents.
But football is a strange game, and Bournemouth will still have fond memories of their sensational 4-3 victory against Liverpool in 2016, their only win in 18 meetings. They’ll also most certainly take succour from the recent match against Newcastle, a game they probably should have won, an impressive if futile late rally against Manchester City, and that last-gasp defeat at the leaders Arsenal last weekend, another one that could so easily have gone their way. Gary O’Neil’s men may be bottom, but they’re not a beaten docket yet, and Liverpool won’t take them lightly. Kick off is at 12.30pm. It, unlike Football Focus, is on. Solidarity.
Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol discusses the BBC’s announcement that Gary Lineker is 'stepping back' from his duties as Match of the Day presenter ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/fDg4ZztTs0
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 10, 2023
