Mohamed Salah's double sends Liverpool nine points clear at the top
KING: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his second goal of the game. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.
MOHAMED Salah s Liverpool future may be uncertain but his continuing importance to his side’s Premier League title ambitions were once again underlined when the Egyptian’s double secured the win that moved Arne Slot’s side nine points clear at the top of the table.
This was far from a comfortable win and the leaders were given a severe test by an impressive Bournemouth. But Salah provided the decisive moments in the game, first when converting a first half penalty and then to curl home an outstanding 75th minute finish to seal the win.
The forward’s double took his tally to 21 league goals for the season and once again put the focus on his continuing contract impasse.
The outstanding 5-0 defeat of Nottingham Forest seven days previously had confirmed Bournemouth’s status as one of the league’s form teams and they wasted no time demonstrating just why Liverpool manager Slot had warned of their threat ahead of his side’s trip south.
The game was less than a minute old when Antoine Semenyo dispossessed Trent Alexander-Arnold and set up Justin Kluivert, who fired an angled shot into the side-netting.
The Bournemouth winger repeatedly threatened down the left hand flank, particularly in the 21st minute when he turned Alexander-Arnold inside the Liverpool area before striking a powerful, rising shot against the post.
Yet while the home side had created the better early chances, it was Liverpool who made the breakthrough in the 29th minute when Cody Gakpo outpaced Bournemouth right-back Lewis Cook before going to ground inside the area.
Referee Darren England - who was taking charge of a game involving Liverpool for the first time since his mistake with VAR led to a Luis Diaz effort being wrongly ruled out against Tottenham in October 2023 - spotted a trip by Cook and after a lengthy VAR review, Salah converted the penalty impressively.
Bournemouth’s approach, however, remained unchanged despite that setback and they appeared to have been rewarded when David Brooks beat Alisson seven minutes later only for Milos Kerkez to be ruled offside in the build up.
Iraola’s side could consider themselves unfortunate to be trailing at the break and their high-tempo start to the second half suggested they believed they were more than capable of cancelling out Liverpool’s advantage.
If anything the home side pressed forward with more purpose and might have levelled had Justin Kluivert’s volley not been blocked by Ibrahima Konate.
Then moments later Alisson had to be quick off his line to deny Semenyo after the winger had been sent clear by Ryan Christie following a superbly worked move.
Slot’s side were far from convincing as they worked hard to protect their lead. And they benefited from a significant slice of luck when Bournemouh substitute Marcus Tavernier struck the inside of the post with Alisson well beaten.
But just when Liverpool were preparing themselves for a testing final 15 minutes of the game, Salah produced a moment of quality to give them much needed breathing space.
This time it was Slot’s side who threatened on the counter and when Dominik Szoboszlai worked the ball out to Salah, the Egyptian steadied himself before curling a precise shot inside the far left post.
Arrizabalaga 6; Cook 6, Zabarnyi 7, Huijsen 7, Kerkez 7; Christie 7 (Jebbison 78, 6), Adams 6; Brooks 7 (Tavernier 66, 6), Kluivert 6, Semenyo 8; Ouattara 6.
Dennis, Akinmboni, Kinsey Wellings, Winterburn, Silcott-Duberry, Adu Adjei, Rees-Dottin.
Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 5 (Bradley 70, 6), Konate 6, Van Dijk 6, Robertson 6; Szoboszlai 8, Gravenberch 6, Mac Allister 6 (Jones 61, 6); Salah 9 (Endo 88, 6), Diaz 6, Gakpo 7 (Nunez 70, 6).
Kelleher, Tsimiskas, Quansah, Elliott, Jota.
Darren England 6.
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