Liverpool pay the penalty as Bournemouth escape basement with shock victory

Liverpool were brought back down to earth as they slipped to defeat at relegation-threatened Bournemouth just six days on from their historic victory over Manchester United.

Jurgen Klopp’s side humiliated their fierce rivals with a 7-0 win at Anfield last Sunday but Philip Billing’s sixth goal of the season was enough for the Cherries to secure a 1-0 victory to move off the foot of the Premier League.

Mohamed Salah shanked a second-half penalty wide to sum up a poor display on a wet and windy south-coast afternoon, with Liverpool missing out on a chance to break into the top four ahead of the second leg of their Champions League tie with Real Madrid.

2/15 - Today’s defeat at Bournemouth was just the second time Liverpool have lost a game with Van Dijk, Konaté, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold all starting, also losing last season's Champions League final against Real Madrid (P15 W10 D3 L2). Unexpected. pic.twitter.com/sYE7tVyVQC

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2023

Bournemouth had been two goals up at league leaders Arsenal last week only to succumb to a stoppage-time winner but their response here was admirable.

Gary O’Neil’s side were buoyed by the return of David Brooks to a matchday squad for the first time in 525 days, the Wales midfielder having been diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021.

Unsurprisingly, it was in-form Liverpool who created the first opportunity of the afternoon as Virgil van Dijk headed a corner goalwards only for the returning Jefferson Lerma to clear off the line.

Bournemouth should have broken the deadlock as Dango Ouattara broke in behind to latch onto a Dominic Solanke pass before trying to round Alisson, tightening the angle as he could only shoot into the side netting.

Birt