Liverpool pass ‘tough challenge’ with flying colours
Four of the top five sides in the Premier League table have come unstuck against Bournemouth. But Liverpool underlined their title credentials by passing this tricky test with flying colours.
Nine points clear after 23 matches, with 15 games to go, Liverpool are leading the way as they push to become English champions for a 20th time.
But they had to battle hard to secure a 2-0 victory at Vitality Stadium on Saturday, thanks to two goals from Mohamed Salah first-half penalty and then a brilliant curled effort to double their advantage.
Boss Arne Slot refused to indulge in any talk of whether this was the sort of result that wins titles, but the way he and his coaching staff celebrated highlighted how important these latest three points were.
Bournemouth had already beaten Arsenal and Manchester City at home this season and came into this match as one of the Premier League’s in-form เว็บพนันออนไลน์ UFABET สมัครง่าย โปรโมชั่นมากมาย teams with an 11-game unbeaten run, thrashing Newcastle 4-1 at St James’ Park on 18 January and crushing Nottingham Forest 5-0 seven days later.
And the Cherries gave Liverpool a real fright.
‘Having Salah definitely helps in a game like this’
“Only a few [opponents] have been as tough as this,” said Slot, who will see his side’s lead cut back to six points on Sunday if second-placed Arsenal win at home against Manchester City.
The Cherries hit the post twice, through Antoine Semenyo and Marcus Tavernier, and thought they had made it 1-1 when David Brooks put the ball in the net, only for a tight offside call to rule it out.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson also did superbly to make a vital save with his legs to deny Semenyo when the game was in the balance at 1-0. While Slot was quick to praise his side’s defensive efforts.
“If you want to have any chance, you have to compete in terms of running, fighting, winning duels and that’s what the players did,” he said. “Having Mo Salah definitely helps in a game like this.
“You need a team performance, a work rate and individual quality. I want them to fight from the first to last second to get the maximum results – that’s what you need to do to have any chance in this league.
“This team [Bournemouth] has done so well in picking up these points against so many good teams and it’s not by luck. They are intense, they have quality and it was always going to be very hard.”