Liverpool 3-1 Bournemouth: 5 Talking Points as Mo Salah overtakes Steven Gerrard on the Reds' all-time scoring charts | Premier League 2023-24

Liverpool secured a relatively straightforward 3-1 win over AFC Bournemouth at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday, August 19. The Reds entered this contest on the back of an exciting and end-to-end 1-1 draw against Chelsea on the opening weekend.

Having seen key midfielders depart the club and key targets join rivals, Jurgen Klopp was under pressure to add reinforcements to his team. He named a strong lineup with the resources available for this game.

The Cherries, on the other hand, played out a 1-1 draw against West Ham United in their season opener. Having heroically avoided relegation under former manager Gary O'Neil last season, Bournemouth were eager to make a good start under new boss Andoni Iraola. The Spaniard named an exciting lineup for this game.

Bournemouth got off to a flying start as they opened the scoring inside five minutes as Dominik Solanke and Antoine Semenyo combined for the goal. The Cherries made the most of an error by Virgil van Dijk in the build-up and continued to pile the pressure on the Reds. However, their dominance was short-lived as Liverpool looked to find a way back into the game.

Last weekend's goalscorer Luis Diaz equalized for the hosts midway through the first period with an acrobatic finish from close range. Just nine minutes later, Dominik Szoboszlai earned a penalty, which was converted by Mohamed Salah on the second attempt on the rebound.

Liverpool carried a 2-1 lead over Bournemouth heading into the break.

Liverpool came out for the second half showing added urgency in their play as they looked to put the game beyond Bournemouth's reach. They played direct and proactive football, using all their attackers to get into good positions. However, Alexis Mac Allister's untimely sending-off following a lousy call by referee Thomas Bramall cast a dark cloud over the proceedings.

Shortly after, much to the vociferous Anfield crowd's delight, Diogo Jota latched onto a loose ball and tucked it in to make it 3-1 to the Reds, giving them some breathing room with 10 men. Both managers then made multiple changes as they tweaked their approaches for the closing stages of the contest.

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#5. Bournemouth forced Liverpool into early mistakes

Bournemouth set up in a very aggressive and attacking shape as they left four men forward to man-mark Liverpool's back four. This allowed them to pounce on any loose touches - a great tweak made by manager Iraola very early in the game.

Following a heavy touch by Virgil van Dijk, the Cherries' forwards did well to press high up the pitch and win it, before darting into the box. Dominik Solanke geared up to fire but instead played the ball to Antoine Semenyo, whose powerful effort nestled into the bottom-left corner.

The Reds continued to look shaky as goalkeeper Alisson was caught off-guard and booked just a few minutes after conceding.

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#4. The Reds turned the tie around before the half-time interval

Having fallen behind inside the opening 10 minutes, Liverpool were eager to settle into their rhythm and find a way back into the contest. Keeping the ball for three-quarters of the first period helped their cause as they created several opportunities to have a crack at Neto's goal.

In-form Columbian winger Luis Diaz equalized for his team midway through the first period with a lovely finish. Shortly after, Dominik Szoboszlai was brought down in the penalty area and the Reds were awarded a penalty.

Neto saved Mohamed Salah's initial effort but was helpless as the Egyptian fired in the rebound to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.

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#3. Mo Salah overtakes Steven Gerrard on Liverpool's all-time scoring charts

Having joined Liverpool in 2017, Mohamed Salah has been an incredible goalscoring machine for the Reds. In just six seasons since then, he has notched 187 goals for the Merseysiders, overtaking former captain and legend Steven Gerrard, who scored 186 from central midfield.

The Egyptian has averaged nearly 30 goals a season for Liverpool, boasting incredible consistency whilst helping Klopp win multiple trophies as the spearhead of their attack. In addition, he has also set up 80 goals for his teammates. Overall, his record stands at an impressive 267 goal contributions in 307 appearances across competitions.

Salah now only trails legends Roger Hunt (259) and Ian Rush (346) on the club's all-time list.

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#2. Referee Thomas Bramall made an extremely harsh decision to show Mac Allister a straight red

Liverpool made a positive start to the second period and came out all guns blazing as they looked to extend their lead. However, their efforts were brought to an untimely halt as Alexis Mac Allister was given his marching orders by referee Thomas Bramall just 13 minutes after the restart.

The Argentine and Bournemouth's Max Christie were going in for a 50-50 possession on the edge of the Reds' box. As they came closer, Mac Allister raised his foot in a seemingly dangerous manner, but replays showed he barely scraped Christie's shin. Despite the opportunity to use VAR to reverse the decision, the match officials stuck with their call, which was remarkably poor.

This adds to an ever-growing list of occasions where the referee's decisions have overshadowed an otherwise eventful game of football.

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#1. Liverpool were heavily-reliant on their front three to bail them out

Despite the scoreline depicting a fairly comfortable outing for the Reds, the reality was far from it. They were second best for the majority of the first half, having fallen behind early in the game following a string of mistakes from the backline and goalkeeper. This allowed Bournemouth to exercise different pressing approaches as they looked to pin the hosts in their own territory.

Each of Liverpool's front three scored in the game to complete the comeback as they secured their first win of the season. However, to sustain their push for a top-four finish, Jurgen Klopp's men will need to address their midfield and defensive woes beforehand.