Liverpool Return To Winning Ways To Move Nine Points Away From Title
Liverpool are just three wins away from winning their first league title in three decades after beating Bournemouth 2-1 at Anfield on Saturday.
The Reds had to do it the hard way after falling behind to Callum Wilson’s early goal but Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane turned the game around to recover from last week’s shock loss to Watford.
The visitors took a shock lead in the 8th minute when Wilson tapped home Jefferson’s Lerma’s cross but Liverpool were furious the goal was allowed to stand for what looked like a push on Joe Gomez in the build-up.
Nathan Ake nearly doubled Bournemouth’s lead in the 14th minute after rising highest to head a corner but Adrian, deputizing for the injured Alisson Becker, was on hand to parry the effort over the bar.
Three minutes later Liverpool got their first real sight of the Bournemouth goal after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played Roberto Firmino through but Aaron Ramsdale was on hand to deny the Brazilian a first home league goal in a year.
Eddie Howe’s side suffered adversity after captain Steve Cook went off injured, and his replacement Jack Simpson was instrumental in Liverpool getting back into the game.
Simpson was robbed just outside his penalty area by Mane, and the Senegalese’s imperfect pass to Salah was drilled beyond the goalkeeper for the equaliser.
Bournemouth shot themselves in the foot again in the 32nd minute when they lost possession on the halfway line, and Virgil van Dijk took advantage to play Mane through before the reigning African Footballer of the Year clinically finished past Ramsdale.
Ryan Fraser came close to equalizing for the Cherries on the hour mark when he spotted Adrian off his line and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation but James Milner was on hand to recover the situation with a spectacular goal-line clearance.
Mane then struck the woodwork with a fierce curling effort in the 75th minute from outside the penalty box.
