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The Winners
Roberto Firmino:
Write him off at your peril. The Brazilian has not been in great form so far this season, his two starts prior to today a mix of loose touches, lost duels and a growing tendency to drop deeper than even the deepest of midfielders.
Not here. Here Firmino was everything Firmino can be; sure of touch, elusive in his movement, switched on and utterly, relentlessly brilliant.
His first half was a thing of beauty, featuring three assists and a goal of his own. He crossed for Luis Diaz, laid the ball off for Harvey Elliott and Trent Alexander-Arnold and then reacted quickest to volley in Liverpool’s fourth after a fortunate deflection.
Between all that, he was slipping in Elliott with a gorgeous backheel, opening up the play with dummies and one-touch passes, and dragging Bournemouth’s defenders all over Merseyside with his runs.
It was a masterclass, completed when he forced home his second goal of the afternoon just after the hour mark. It was his 100th goal for Liverpool, on a day when he reminded everyone that when he plays well, his team tends to do so too.
The hug he got from his manager when replaced, 20 minutes from time, said it all. Playing like this, there's nobody quite like Roberto Firmino.
Jurgen Klopp:
The Liverpool boss admitted prior to this game that he had “got a few things off his chest” when conducting a team meeting at the AXA Training Centre on Wednesday, and it’s safe to say that whatever message Klopp was trying to convey to his players got through.
Liverpool were a million miles away from the timid, lethargic side we saw at Old Trafford, and before that at Craven Cottage. From the first blast of referee Stuart Attwell’s whistle, there was a determination about the Reds, a purpose and an intensity that had been conspicuous by its absence of late.
Stung by the criticism? Perhaps, although it’s not the media that these players listen to, it’s their manager and his staff.
They certainly listened to whatever he said this week. This was the response everyone at Anfield wanted, and needed.
Trent Alexander-Arnold:
There's no doubt that Liverpool's home-grown hero has suffered in the opening weeks of the campaign. Caught out by Aleksandar Mitrovic against Fulham, he was also tormented by Anthony Elanga against Manchester United, leading to inevitable questions about his concentration, form and defensive capabilities.
We've been here before with Alexander-Arnold, and just like before he responded the only way he knows how to: with a performance of the highest-quality.
His goal, blasted into the top corner from 25 yards, was stunning, and he would later force Chris Mepham into an own goal with a trademark delivery from the right.
Just as pleasing, though, were his contributions at the other end. The way he raced back into position after ceding possession, for example, or his recovery pace to snuff out a Bournemouth counter early in the second half. He can do it all, Alexander-Arnold, and this was a timely reminder of that fact.
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The Losers
Scott Parker:
It didn’t take long for the tone to be set for this game. Bournemouth kicked off, played the ball back into midfield and within two seconds they had been forced into an error, the ball trundling harmlessly out for a Liverpool throw.
Parker was the last visiting manager to win at Anfield in the Premier League, doing so with Fulham in April 2021, but his side never looked like adding to the Reds’ woes here. Lacking top-level quality, yes, but the Cherries were also passive and alarmingly naive in their approach here, unable to live with Liverpool’s energy, aggression and movement.
Their battles this season will not be fought against this kind of opposition, in fairness, but those fans who made the long trek north deserved much more than they got from their team here.
Fans of crises:
After a week in which the only questions worth asking were ‘what’s wrong with Liverpool?’ and ‘who are they going to sign before the transfer window closes?’, what a change to have some football to write about.
It had looked on paper like a fixture for which the term ‘routine home win’ could have been created, but recent events meant plenty of fans approached it with caution. Things couldn’t get worse before they got better, could they?
Erm, no. No they couldn’t. Those looking for ‘crisis articles’ were to be left disappointed, Liverpool washing away all their troubles in a sea of goals. Never before have they won a Premier League game so comprehensively, and not since 1989 have they scored nine times in any competitive game.
They didn’t get the 10th goal the fans craved – though James Milner came agonisingly close – but anyone who was here today will remember this.
They’ve had to take a few knocks in the last few days, and rightly so, but this was some way to bounce back. How nice to be writing about the positive side of football again, at least for a few hours.
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Liverpool Ratings: Defence
Alisson Becker (N/A):
Not sure he played, did he?
Trent Alexander-Arnold (9/10):
Unleashed a quite stunning strike to make it 4-0, and stuck to his defensive duties well. The quality of his delivery forced Mepham to put into his own net after half-time. Much more like it.
Andy Robertson (7/10):
His energy from left-back set the tone for the afternoon, and he picked up an assist for Van Dijk too.
Joe Gomez (7/10):
In control and on the front foot, though didn't have to do too much in all honesty.
Virgil van Dijk (8/10):
Switched on from the word go, and arrived perfectly to head in Liverpool's fifth goal of the afternoon. Needed this kind of performance.
