Liverpool’s good operation. Deprived of Salah, Alcantara, Alexander-Arnold, Bajcetic, Doak, Matip, Robertson and even Szoboszlai, the Reds beat Bournemouth this Sunday (0-3). Nunez (49th, 90 2) and Jota (70th, 79th) scored their team’s three goals. Jürgen Klopp’s men temporarily take a five-point lead over Manchester City.
Reduced by several usual starters, Liverpool struggled to show themselves without Salah, Endo, Alexander-Arnold, Roberston, Szoboszlai and even Tsimikas. For the first two mentioned, they are competing in their respective CAN (African and Asian Nations Cup), while the others are injured. And offensively it was felt. In a team like this, the absences of the starting fullbacks are real blows to the good development of the “Kloppien” game. And regarding their replacements of the day, Gomez is a central training and Bradley is too soft, the machine had difficulty getting started.
On the other side of the field, Bournemouth were not afraid of hosting the Premier League leader. We even saw phases of daring restarts against the counter-pressing of the Reds, proof that even a team which plays the soft underbelly of the Premier League can produce play. But in this first act, Solanke, Kluivert, Sinisterra and Tavernier were good muzzled by the Konaté – Van Dijk hinge, keeping the score goalless until the return to the locker room.
But in the second act everything changed, especially for Liverpool’s attackers. The Jota and Nunez show began and the duo lit up the game, scoring twice each, and almost every time both were involved in the Reds’ 4 goals. The Portuguese and the Uruguayan scored points in Salah’s absence and between them carried LFC’s attack.
In the other direction of the game, the defense remained faithful to the good work done in the first half, the Cherries attackers were completely extinguished by the line of 4, but also by the regular returns of Mac Allister. This great collective work allows Jürgen Klopp’s men to fly to the top of the Premier League, with 5 points ahead of their runner-up pending the late Manchester City match, the battle for the title is more than ever engaged .