Liverpool’s unbeaten run may have hidden their troubles, but the reality of their problems was laid bare in their 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth. The reigning champions are now winless in their last five Premier League matches, with four draws and one defeat.
Despite their 13-game undefeated streak, Liverpool’s performance against Bournemouth showed a team that is no longer feared. They defended erratically and were predictable in their attack, with Alan Shearer, a pundit on Saturday’s Match of the Day, saying, “Liverpool just don’t look right in all areas. They’re making too many errors and are weak defensively, as we saw with the winning goal.”
Bournemouth, who have been decimated by injuries and the loss of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, ruthlessly exposed Liverpool’s vulnerabilities. Virgil van Dijk’s error for the first goal and the team’s failure to play the ball out before the second goal were baffling mistakes.
Jurgen Klopp’s assistant, Sipke Hulshoff, was trying to tell the players to put the ball out of play to replace the injured Joe Gomez, but they were made to pay as Bournemouth scored the winner in the 95th minute. This was the fifth time Liverpool have lost points in stoppage time this season, and the fifth Premier League goal they have conceded from a throw-in.
Bournemouth’s manager, Arne Slot, acknowledged the fatigue of his players, with three of Liverpool’s starting back four going off the pitch by the hour mark. However, he was still able to call on the likes of Wataru Endo, Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones, and Hugo Ekitike off the bench.
If Arsenal win against Manchester United on Sunday, Liverpool will be closer to the relegation zone than the top of the Premier League. As Alan Shearer said, “Their aim has to be salvaging the season by qualifying for the Champions League with a top-four or perhaps top-five finish – but that’s a big drop-off from what we saw last season.”
