Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

A look back at the key moments in Liverpool’s destruction of AFC Bournemouth at Anfield.

Liverpool 9 - 0 Bournemouth

Liverpool: Díaz 3’, 84’, Elliott 6’, Alexander-Arnold 28,’ Firmino 31’, 62’, van Dijk 45+1’, Mepham 47’ (OG), Carvalho 80’

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Pre-Match

Four matches into this nascent season, Liverpool are still looking for their first win. Hopefully as they welcome Bournemouth to Anfield they can get their season kickstarted.

First Half

It didn’t take long for Liverpool to make their mark on this match. For the first time this season, it’s the Reds who get the first goal. Unsurprising that it’s Luis Díaz that got his head on the ball and guided it home. A VAR check for offside was cleared, and the goal stood.

The Kop had barely caught their breaths from their early lead when Harvey Elliott doubled it with a gorgeous left-footed strike from just outside the box. It was a bullet into the bottom left corner, and you could see how much that goal meant to the young player.

Liverpool clearly had something to prove on that sunny afternoon in Liverpool. The attacks came hard and fast. Mohamed Salah should have made it three to the good, missing a sitter that was set up by a great interplay between Firmino, Díaz, and Elliott.

28 minutes in, it was Trent Alexander-Arnold’s time to shine. The defender began the movement in his own half, helping to wriggle the ball through the Bournemouth defense. He pushed forward and played a one-two with Roberto Firmino, getting the ball in very nearly the same spot as Elliott before him. A right-footed rocket to the top left corner made the score 3-0.

After picking up assists for the first three of Liverpool’s goals, Firmino grabs his own thanks to some very intelligent play. Salah attempted a pass inside the box that was intercepted dangerously in the air by a Bournemouth defender. Firmino judged where the ball would land and guided it in on the volley with the outside of his foot.

The Brazilian, more than any Liverpool player on the pitch, seemed to have something to prove in this match. He almost bagged a brace, but his low effort into the far corner was stopped by the keeper and sent out for a corner.

That wouldn’t keep this Liverpool team down, not today anyway. The resulting corner led to a simple headed finish for Virgil van Dijk, who rose above the pack to guide it home near the stroke of half time.

Second Half

Fábio Carvalho came on for Harvey Elliott to begin the second half of this game. The game had barely settled when another disaster came for Bournemouth. If being six goals down wasn’t embarrassing enough, Bournemouth added an own goal to their very bad day. Alexander-Arnold delivered the ball into the box, and while Díaz got near it, the dubious distinction was with Chris Mepham for nodding it home.

Number seven came from a corner taken quickly. Andy Robertson slammed it into the box, forcing the keeper into a diving save. The ball got as far as Firmino in front of the goal who coolly flicked it home.

Jürgen Klopp made a triple change on 68 minutes. Out went Jordan Henderson, Robertson, and Firmino. In their places were James Milner, Kostas Tsimikas, and Stefan Bajcetic.

For all that Liverpool dominated this match, it wasn’t Salah’s day. He missed his second sitter 75 minutes into the match, robbing them of the chance to make it 8-0.

Thank goodness, then, for Liverpool legend Carvalho who picked up the slack for his Egyptian teammate and curled in his first Liverpool goal with an assist from Tsimikas.

Good lord, I don’t even know. One more set piece, one more goal. This time it’s a second for Díaz.

Final Thoughts

It is safe to say that this was a good game for Liverpool Football Club.