Liverpool got their first win in the Premier League this season thanks to a record-equalling victory over Bournemouth.
The Reds claimed a 9-0 win over the Cherries at Anfield to equal the record for the biggest victory in the Premier League era.. A brace apiece for Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz, combined with goals from Fabio Carvalho, Harvey Elliott, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and a Chris Mepham own goal secured the three points.
Jurgen Klopp also managed to hand first-team debuts to Stefan Bajcetic and Bobby Clark, who were introduced off the bench in the second half. The next match for Liverpool sees them welcome Newcastle United to Anfield on Wednesday night.
Plenty of national media outlets were in attendance to watch Liverpool’s record-equalling win. Here is a round-up of what they had to say.
READ MORE: John Henry knows what he must do after watching Liverpool send emphatic Premier League statement
READ MORE: John Henry gives thumbs up in response to Liverpool fan transfer question
Dominic King, via the Daily Mail
“Roberto Firmino was wheeling away in delight, celebrating his deserved moment in the sun, when Scott Parker took a long, lingering look at the scoreboard.
“At first glance, you might have assumed Bournemouth's manager was working out how long he had to inspire a comeback and, in normal circumstances, you would have been right. But, on a closer inspection, you could see Parker's face was creased with dread and you knew panic was descending.
“With only 31 minutes on the clock and the unplayable Firmino having just scored Liverpool's fourth goal, Parker was asking himself two questions: how much more punishment Bournemouth were going to endure? And, in the time remaining, what chance did they have of keeping the score down?
“The answers were simply: 'lots' and 'none' – Liverpool, after such a disjointed start to the campaign, were in no mood to waste any more time and it was Bournemouth's grave misfortune they walked into the path of a team moving with the force of a speeding truck. Inevitably, they were flattened.
“You can only beat what it is in front of you, however, and what Liverpool did when they were presented with the chance to wreak havoc was quite remarkable on a day that had statisticians furiously thumbing through their notebooks to work out the historical aspect of this avalanche.
“The top line is that Liverpool equalled their biggest ever league win, this 9-0 rout matching the September 1989 shellacking of Crystal Palace and the colossal scoreline enabled them to grab a share of Premier League history with Manchester United, Tottenham and Leicester.”
Andy Hunter, via The Guardian
“Scott Elliott celebrated his son’s first Premier League goal by launching his jacket 20 feet into the air and several rows down from his Main Stand seat. Harvey’s proud father eventually got the jacket back and Liverpool, after a midweek dressing down from Jürgen Klopp, got their season back on track in record fashion too.
“Having invited questions over their winless start, including from their own manager after Monday’s tame loss at Manchester United, Liverpool responded in emphatic, ruthless style.
“Talk about venting frustration. True, Bournemouth were abject and perfect fodder for a team needing a first win of the campaign. But in terms of intensity, penetration and pure enjoyment of the ball Liverpool could not have delivered a finer show to banish doubt and signal their self-belief remains intact. And of course their quality.
“Liverpool were rampant from the off, five goals ahead by half-time –for the first time in a league game at Anfield since 1958 – and equalled their record league win – against Crystal Palace in 1989 – with something to spare. And Mohamed Salah didn’t score.”
Alyson Rudd, via The Times
“From catastrophe to carnival. From has-been to hero. This was everything Jürgen Klopp could have wished for in response to the dismal start to the season and it was underpinned by a striker who would not have featured had the Liverpool manager’s choices not been restricted by injury and suspension.
“Step forward Roberto Firmino — variously labelled as past his prime, redundant, a back-up forward — to play a part in three goals and then score two himself. His was the sort of unselfish, intuitive, energetic performance any manager craves from a false nine. This was the club’s biggest victory margin in the Premier League and it made a mockery of those who had been predicting the end of an era, of Klopp suffering seventh-season syndrome — which had brought dips in form when he was in charge of Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
“The German had called it a false start to the season and, yes, for the day to have begun with Bournemouth ahead of Liverpool in the table did feel incongruous. Scott Parker could retort that at least his team had won the game they had a chance of winning, by defeating Aston Villa on the opening day, and that the south coast club’s losses to Arsenal and Manchester City were entirely predictable. Liverpool, meanwhile, had dropped points against Fulham, Crystal Palace and a Manchester United side supposedly in crisis, but by half-time the old order had been restored.”
Chris Bascombe, via The Telegraph
“Evidently, an Anfield crisis is not what it used to be.
“Any fears that Liverpool’s first three lacklustre Premier League games heralded the beginning of the end of the peak-Jurgen Klopp era were spectacularly vanquished by a club and Premier League equalling record victory over Bournemouth.
“Whatever home truths Klopp delivered in his midweek state-of-the-nation address to his players following defeat to Manchester United, the message could not have been more emphatically received and acted upon.
“In rediscovering their mojo, Liverpool registered their biggest top-flight win since beating Crystal Palace 9-0 in September, 1989. Bournemouth were in the wrong stadium at the wrong time, suffering an Anfield backlash of epic proportions following the Kop’s week of soul-searching.
“As Klopp hailed one of the most reassuring afternoons of his reign, Scott Parker cut a sober figure reflecting on the ‘most painful day of his career’. Unless they add quality, his side will be Premier League fodder, although few teams would have been able to withstand how Liverpool greeted the first whistle like a starting pistol.
“Liverpool breathed fire with two goals in the first two six minutes. There were another three before half-time and no let up in the second half, even when Klopp deployed a substitutes bench consisting mainly of under 21 players. The Kop spent the climax chanting ‘we want 10’. It could have been double that.”
READ NEXT:
- Every word of Scott Parker's 'shell shocked' press conference as Liverpool leave Bournemouth players 'trying to breathe'
- What Jurgen Klopp did after Roberto Firmino substitution shows Liverpool question finally answered
- Liverpool fans can't understand why Man City got away with 'Karius moment' against Crystal Palace
- Harvey Elliott explains emotional celebration after first Premier League goal for Liverpool
- Jurgen Klopp issues Harvey Elliott update after scare in Bournemouth win
