Liverpool thrash Bournemouth to go five points clear at the top

Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez both scored a brace as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-0 on Sunday evening to go five points clear at the summit of the Premier League standings.

After a goalless first half, Jurgen Klopp’s side showed their superiority on the pitch as they ran our comfortable winners on the day in front of a packed Vitality Stadium.

Earlier on the day, the hosts started on the front foot, pegging back Liverpool with their relentless work rate, limiting any clear-cut opportunities.

The visitors were without two of their most creative players, Mohamed Salah who is at the AFCON representing Egypt while Trent Alexander-Arnold was also sidelined due to injury.

The hosts had a minor scare when Justin Kluivert caught Luis Diaz’s ankles with a clumsy challenge, but VAR deemed that the tackle wasn’t hard enough to be awarded a dismissal.

Ryan Christie brought out a routine save from Alisson in the 39^th minute and just five minutes later, the Cherries had yet another golden opportunity. Both Kluivert and Christie failed to get on the end of a low cross at the near post in what was a certain goalscoring opportunity.

Liverpool take the lead

The Reds took the lead four minutes after the restart following a sublime move. First Ibrahim Konate found Curtis Jones with a switch in play in the left wing, who then found Jota before the Portuguese laid it off for Nunez for a smart first-time finish from the Uruguayan.

Conor Bradley should have then doubled the lead just minutes later after VAR turned away calls for a penalty. But somehow the young defender headed waywardly with the goal at his mercy at the far post.

Liverpool doubled their lead in the 70^th minute when Jota hit a first-time effort past Neto in the Bournemouth goal and the hosts hardly recovered from then on. Liverpool stroked around the ball with enormous ease that would certainly highlight the Reds’ firepower to lay their hands on the title come in May.

Jota gives Liverpool an unassailable lead

Jota then put the game to bed in the 79^th minute after a rebound fell onto his path as he once again finished with ease in what was a sublime away performance.

Nunez made it 4-0 in the 94^th minute as the Reds returned to Merseyside with three points in their bag.

The result means Klopp’s side has now won their last three away games without conceding and moved five points clear of reigning Champions Manchester City, having played an extra game.

For Bournemouth, the result will come as a massive blow, losing successive games after winning three in a row. The Cherries now host Swansea at home in the FA Cup before traveling to London to take on West Ham early last month.

Liverpool, meanwhile, buoyed by the win will look to keep the momentum going as they play Fulham in the Carabao Cup second-leg semifinal, leading the tie 2-1 before hosting Norwich in the FA next weekend and then resuming Premier League action at home when Chelsea come to town.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Focus Images