Salah crashes down from seventh heaven
MO SALAH hung his head after missing a second-half penalty which stalled Liverpool’s top-four push.
But his despair was the Cherries joy as they lifted themselves off the bottom of the table.
One of the joys of the Premier League is that a team can lose 9-0 as Bournemouth did at Anfield, and then reverse that outcome later in the same campaign. Or, that a side humbling Manchester United with seven goals six days before – as Liverpool did at home – can be felled by the lowest of the low.
The Cherries deserved their victory, although few would have foreseen Salah (left) curling that 69th-minute penalty way over the junction of post and crossbar.
It was Liverpool’s first penalty of the season in the league, a rare gift spurned.
A goal from Philip Billing just before the half hour was enough for Bournemouth and Jurgen Klopp was frustrated more than angry with a defeat that he believes will stall Liverpool’s momentum for a top-four bid, rather than kill it off altogether. “This game was a massive knock, but you know how it is with knocks,” said Klopp.
“You have to look and see how big the scars are and then you go from there.”
For Bournemouth boss Gary O’neil the result was reward not just for this game, but for performances he felt deserved more – such as the Arsenal defeat.
He said: “We deserved it and I’m just pleased for the boys.that’s no fluke. Performances have been really good in recent games against top opposition.”
BOURNEMOUTH: Neto 7: A Smith 6 (Fredericks 80), Stephens 6, Senesi 6, Kelly 7; Ouattara 8, Lerma 7 (Cook 80), Billing 7 (Christie 71, 6), Anthony 6 (Vina 88); Rothwell 7; Solanke 7 (Semenyo 88).
LIVERPOOL: Alisson 6; Alexander-arnold 6 (Milner 65, 7), Konate 6, Van Dijk 6, Robertson 6; Elliott 6 (Jota 46, 7), Fabinho 6 (Henderson 65, 6), Bajcetic 5 (Carvalho 87); Salah 5, Gakpo 6, Nunez 5 (Firminho 65, 6).
MAN OF THE MATCH: DANGO OUATTARA - Stretched Liverpool to breaking point with his energy and class.
J Brooks 10,536