Liverpool roared back to their best to register their first Premier League win of the season at the fourth attempt, dismantling Bournemouth 9-0 at Anfield.
A match that many predicted would be one-sided, no-one could have foreseen the first-half flurry of goals that Liverpool notched, with the highlight being a rocket from range off the right boot of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Luis Diaz opened the scoring after only three minutes, nodding home a Roberto Firmino cross past the helpless Mark Travers, and youngster Harvey Elliott curled a sumptuous shot beyond the scrambling visiting goalkeeper to double the Reds’ money three minutes later.
Read also
- Liverpool win FA Community Shield after beating Manchester City
- Liverpool in Quadruple chase after beating Chelsea to win coveted FA Cup
- Bournemouth Shoot Down Man Utd 1-0
Alexander-Arnold’s wonder strike was quickly followed up by Firmino, who broke his duck for the season, heading in a deflected cross that fell perfectly for him; the Brazilian positioned well between the two centre-halves to beat the onrushing Travers to it.
Virgil van Dijk wrapped up the first-half scoring with a towering header of his own on the stroke of half time, as he powered home an Andy Robertson corner, that had initially been won by a driving Firmino run and shot that was well-saved by Travers down to his right.
Chris Mepham’s afternoon was made even worse as he diverted an Alexander-Arnold cross into his own net inside two minutes of the restart as Liverpool hit the Cherries for six inside 47 minutes.
It was seventh heaven for the title contenders as a quick corner between Robertson and Fabio Carvalho caught the visitors napping, and the left-back’s curling effort was parried by Travers, with the rebound picked up by none other than Firmino, who gobbled up his second of the game.
Carvalho turned goal scorer with his first for the club to make it eight; linking up with a fellow substitute Kostas Tsimikas, lashing an unstoppable strike beyond Travers. Diaz scored his second – and Liverpool’s ninth – in the 85th minute.
Bournemouth have now conceded 16 goals in their last three, without managing a single one themselves. That will concern their manager Scott Parker, who could only watch on in disbelief as his side were torn to shreds by Jurgen Klopp’s ruthless Reds.
(Eurosport)
