James Milner’s 500th appearance in the Premier League was a memorable one as Liverpool stomped to the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 win at Vitality Stadium against a flimsy Bournemouth. The result puts pressure on Manchester City, who need at least a draw against Chelsea later on Saturday to reclaim top spot.
Mohamed Salah walked away with the match ball after scoring his first hat-trick of the season. Steve Cook put the ball into his own net in what was a spectacular finish with his heel.
We take a look at the talking points as the Merseysiders dominated in every department.
MOHAMED SALAH’S REDEMPTION
The best player from last season, Salah – by his high standards – had a slow start to his season. Prior to the clash against Bournemouth, the Egyptian had scored seven Premier League goals, a tally bettered by seven other players. Thanks to his part in this demolition, Salah has propelled himself to the top of the scorers list, sharing the spot with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Statistics aside, the 26-year-old was wasteful in front of goal and lacked fluidity in the first few games of the season. Things took a U-turn on Saturday as he posted a flawless performance, excelling in all aspects.
Salah launched four shots at Asmir Begovic, three on target and all three went in. The Egyptian also attempted five dribbles and was successful on four occasions. It was an all-round performance by the former Roma man and he will be hoping for more of such days.
LIVERPOOL ASSERT DOMINANCE IN ALL DEPARTMENTS
Alisson Becker caused a red alert moment two minutes after kick-off as he overhit a pass to Virgil van Dijk and a lurking Ryan Fraser jumped onto the loose ball but failed to make it count. From then on, the visitors gained total control over the game.
Despite their unbeaten streak, Liverpool never looked like controlling the tempo of a match until now. For example, their win against Brighton earlier this season was underwhelming and it was a game that could go either way. Liverpool also failed to beat assert themselves against the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea or Arsenal and have been largely dismal in Europe. This emphatic win will be welcomed with a sense of relief at Anfield.
A comprehensive win against worthy opponents away from home was inclusive of a dominant performance in all departments. It has usually been Liverpool’s defence that has won them games this season, with the front line seeming a shadow of their last season’s selves. For once, Jurgen Klopp’s attacking players put on a better show than the men at the back.
Salah, Roberto Firmino and substitute Sadio Mane were on the top of their game and Fabinho had it extremely easy against the Bournemouth midfield. Klopp will be hoping that performances such as these are sustainable.
EDDIE HOWE’S FLAWS UNCOVERED
Rightly touted a promising young manager, 41-year-old Eddie Howe lost just two games with Bournemouth in the first ten Premier League games this season. In the 40 days that followed, the Cherries faced Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and now Liverpool. Bournemouth lost all these games and additionally to 15th-placed Newcastle. Their only win came against relegation-threatened Huddersfield, by a margin of one goal.
It was a terrible display by the hosts against Liverpool as the backline looked extremely fragile and vulnerable. The score-line is a fair representation of the performances of both teams and the Reds could probably have scored a couple more. Steve Cook and Nathan Ake were particularly horrendous and failed to even slightly resist Salah, who was running circles around them.
Howe remains one of the best young managers in the country, but his record against top teams deserves to be scrutinised should he ever be in consideration for a more high-profile job.
