Bournemouth 1-0 Liverpool: 5 Talking Points as Reds suffer crushing defeat at lowly Cherries | Premier League 2022-23

Liverpool's hunt for a top-four spot suffered an embarrassing setback as they lost 1-0 to relegation candidates Bournemouth on Saturday, February 11 in the Premier League.

Liverpool came into the game high on confidence after a sensational 7-0 victory against Manchester United, in prime position to capture the final Champions League spot. A win over Bournemouth would have put the Reds into fourth, overtaking Tottenham. They made a single change to the lineup, bringing in teenage midfielder Stefan Bajcetic for Jordan Henderson.

Bournemouth, on the other hand, have had a poor season and were bottom of the table at the start of the game. Manager Gary O'Neil made three changes to the side that had an agonizingly close loss to Arsenal last week. Lloyd Kelly and Jefferson Lerma returned from injuries.

Liverpool started the game brightly, putting Bournemouth under a lot of pressure. They came close to taking the lead in the 6th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner found Virgil van Dijk, but the Dutchman's header was cleared off the line by Lerma.

The Reds thought they had taken the lead when Darwin Nunez made a headed pass to Cody Gakpo, who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper. However, the linesman's flag was up, ruling the goal out for offside.

Against the run of play, the Cherries took the lead through a counter-attack in the 28th minute. A ball lifted over the top saw Dango Ouattara get the better of Van Dijk before he cut it back to Philip Billing. The midfielder held his nerve and coolly slotted it past Alisson as Bournemouth took an unlikely 1-0 lead.

The half ended 1-0 as Liverpool continued to pile on the pressure but were unable to break Bournemouth's defense.

In a bid to increase their attacking prowess, Jurgen Klopp made a half-time change, bringing on Diogo Jota for Harvey Elliott. The Portuguese attacker started well, forcing Neto into a good save with his curling effort early in the second half.

While the Reds continued to attack, O'Neil's men were content to sit back and absorb all the pressure.

Klopp then made a triple change in the 66th minute to try to change the outlook of the game, bringing on Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and James Milner for Nunez, Fabinho and Alexander-Arnold.

The talking point of the game came immediately after the substitution as Milner's cross found Jota, who headed it back towards goal. The ball struck Adam Smith's arm and after a VAR check, a penalty was awarded to Liverpool.

However, Mohammad Salah stepped up and missed the goal by a wide margin as Bournemouth held on to their lead.

The Reds failed to generate further big chances as Bournemouth's defense stood strong and the match ended 1-0 to the Cherries. Here are five talking points from the game:

#5. Liverpool's second half was one to forget

It was a tale of two halves as Liverpool suffered a crushing loss to Bournemouth. Although they conceded in the first half, they looked threatening in the initial period. They had a clearance off the line as well as a disallowed goal before Billing put the Cherries on top. However, the attack completely failed in the second half, unable to generate good chances despite having the lion's share of possession.

#4. Liverpool's away woes continue

Jurgen Klopp's men have been in horrible form away from home in the Premier League this season. They have now secured just three wins in 13 away games, along with three draws for a total of 12 points. If they want to guarantee a top-four spot, they will have to turn around their away form quickly.

#3. It is a brilliant result for Bournemouth

The Cherries have been unable to secure consistent results in the league and are among the top candidates for relegation. However, Gary O'Neil's men showed the resilience and determination needed to escape relegation today. They scored an early goal and defended well to hold on to the lead. The three points could prove to be crucial in the race to stay in the Premier League.

#2. Liverpool's front three had an off day

Liverpool's front three of Darwin Nunez, Mohammad Salah and Cody Gakpo looked unstoppable last week in the 7-0 drubbing of Manchester United. However, it was a completely different performance from them this time out, as they looked ineffective against a dogged Bournemouth defense. Salah's penalty miss, combined with the overall lack of threat, made it a day to forget for the attackers.

#1. The race for top four has gotten more interesting

After their performance last week, Liverpool looked like strong favorites for the fourth spot. They were only three points behind Tottenham with a game in hand and many believed that at the end of the season, Klopp's men would overcome a bad start to the season and secure Champions league qualification. However, this result has made the race much more interesting.