KING ROCKS SLOPPY KOP
DIVOCK ORIGI proved that Liverpool’s attack is just fine without Sadio Mane – but Jurgen Klopp’s side paid dearly for defensive howlers.
Origi followed up his key goal in Saturday’s Merseyside derby win with a clinical header against Bournemouth.
It followed a cool finish from Philippe Coutinho to cancel out a surprise opener for Bournemouth gifted to Benik Afobe.
Then just as it looked like Liverpool would take all three points they failed to clear a corner and Josh King netted the leveller on 87 minutes.
Liverpool have been masterful against the big names, but vulnerable to the lower orders this season.
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And with a knee injury taking top scorer Mane out of their attack, the last thing Klopp needed was the sort of howler that has blighted his bid to secure Champions League football.
It came in the seventh minute as Georginio Wijnaldum under-hit a back pass – with Afobe pouncing to roll the ball under the helpless Simon Mignolet.
Liverpool had almost scored before Bournemouth took the lead, with Dejan Lovren just failing to connect after Lucas Leiva had glanced on a Coutinho corner.
But it took a while for Klopp’s side to find their balance again once they went a goal down.
Origi – Mane’s replacement in attack – scuffed wide from a Coutinho corner when well-placed, but they were restricted to long-range efforts.
Keeper Artur Boruc saved comfortably from Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino, while Coutinho’s free-kick brushed the top of the net as it cleared the bar.
At the other end, Marc Pugh volleyed wide a great chance to double Bournemouth’s lead after Steve Cook had glanced on a Simon Francis corner.
Then King outpaced Lovren all too easily down the right before striking a fierce rising shot that just cleared the angle of post and bar.
Yet just as Liverpool’s first-half frustration threatened to get the better of them, they equalised.
Origi glanced Mignolet’s deep kick towards Firmino, who slotted a through pass for Coutinho to control and beat the keeper.
That seemed to calm Liverpool’s jitters a little, and they almost went ahead early in the second half as full-back Nathaniel Clyne cut in from the right past Francis and hit a 25-yard stinger that Boruc just got a touch to as it bounced out off the underside of the bar.
And they went ahead just before the hour as Wijnaldum made amends for his early blunder, dancing past the recalled Jack Wilshere before looping over a cross for Origi to head in.
But Liverpool couldn’t hold out and King’s late strike cost them two points. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet; Clyne, Klavan, Lovren, Milner; Lucas, Can, Wijnaldum; Origi, Coutinho, Firmino. Subs: Karius, Moreno, Matip, Alexander-Arnold, Grujic, Woodburn, Sturridge. BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-2): Boruc; A Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels; Ibe, Arter, Wilshere, Pugh; King, Afobe. Subs: Allsop, B Smith, Cargill, Mousset, Cook, Fraser, Gradel. Referee: Lee Mason. Evo-Stik Northern Premier: Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership Celtic (0) .................... 1 Partick (0) ................ 1 Kilmarnock (0) ........... 0 Rangers (0) .............. 0 Motherwell (0) ........... 0 Hamilton (0) ............. 0 ACROSS: DOWN: