Liverpool knows fans need convincing
LONDON— With fans growing increasingly nervous, Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp knew his players needed to make a statement about their title credentials against Bournemouth on Saturday.
They delivered just the right message with a rampant display in a 3-0 win at Anfield that not only put the team back atop the English Premier League standings, but also showed that fears over another late-season collapse may be unwarranted.
“We wanted to show a reaction. It’s our job not only to come through, but to really perform and convince,” said Klopp, whose team is looking for a first league title since 1990 but had let a seven-point lead to Manchester City slip away in recent weeks.
“Supporters get a little bit nervous for all sorts of reasons. That’s not a Liverpool thing — it’s a football thing.”
Saturday’s win was convincing indeed. After being held to two straight 1-1 draws, Liverpool rediscovered its attacking verve as goals from Sadio Mané and Georginio Wijnaldum essentially decided the game after just 34 minutes, and Mohamed Salah added the third in the 48th. If not for a number of missed chances in the second half, the score line easily could have been doubled.
The win means City, which took the lead on goal difference on Wednesday, must beat Chelsea on Sunday in order to prevent Liverpool from establishing another gap with a game in hand. Liverpool has 65 points from 26 games with City on 62.
Chelsea is also under heavy pressure going into Sunday’s game after top-four rivals Manchester United and Arsenal won on Saturday.
United climbed above Chelsea into fourth with a 3-0 win at Fulham while Arsenal was level on points with Maurizio Sarri’s side after beating last-placed Huddersfield 2-1.
On a day where every game was preceded by a minute’s silence for Emiliano Sala following the confirmation of the Argentine striker’s death, Cardiff ended an emotional week with a crucial victory.
The team moved out of the relegation zone by beating Southampton 2-1 thanks to Kenneth Zohore’s stoppagetime winner.
Sala’s body was recovered on Wednesday from the crashed plane that was taking him to Cardiff after he signed for the Welsh club from Nantes in January.
“For Emiliano, I feel really proud that the lads have done him justice,” Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said.
In other games, Watford beat Everton 1-0 and Crystal Palace drew at home against West Ham 1-1.
Paul Pogba scored twice for United at Craven Cottage as the French midfielder continued his resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Pogba gave United the lead with a blistering shot from a tight angle in the 14th minute and converted a penalty for the third goal in the 65th, taking his tally to eight goals in his last eight league games.