Liverpool won 3-0 against Bournemouth in the Premier League to go 11 points clear at the top of the table
Sunday 8 December 2019 09:53, UK
Jurgen Klopp has called Liverpool's 3-0 win at Bournemouth "nearly a perfect day", while Eddie Howe was left to rue more injury losses.
It was an ultimately comfortable win for Liverpool, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Mohamed Salah on the scoresheet with the victory's only sour moment a first-half injury to Dejan Lovren.
The result sent Liverpool 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League, and Klopp was impressed with how his side saw out the Vitality Stadium victory.
Klopp said: "It wasn't easy, it was very difficult, the boys made a lot of good decisions and that's why it was a comfortable win, maybe more than we would have expected before the game, but Bournemouth were in a difficult situation, losing two key players, and then you get a feeling that it's not a Bournemouth day.
"But we scored wonderful goals, had other big chances and the result is most important, but the performance was really good as well, especially in the second half when we were really professional and assured. That's what we have to be in the moment and it's not about being constantly exciting, it's about doing the right stuff. There were not a lot of difficult moments to defend, which is good and very important so nearly a perfect day.
"Always you don't know exactly but it [Lovren's injury] looks not too serious, it looks like a little cramp. He felt something, he told us, said he for sure could go to half-time, wanted to have treatment there and carry on, but we said no and stopped it there.
"That's the status quo, you have these kind of things in this moment of the season. It is similar to what Gini and Adam Lallana had - not serious but serious enough to keep them out. Now we have two days to make sure they can go again. That's what I think at the moment but I don't know 100 per cent."
Liverpool remain unbeaten in the Premier League and kept their first clean sheet in 13 games, but a level-headed Klopp is only focusing on the football.
He added: "I can imagine it's [the run of form in the Premier League] is interesting for the people but to be honest with you, we don't think about it. Really, that's the truth.
"I'm always concerned before a game, making sure here and there we don't get any problems. I'm not flying inside, I don't have to keep myself down, it's really a job to do and the results are wonderful but the games are always very difficult and we respect that.
"If you see it game-by-game, it is always the same amount of being difficult because then you have to make sure you have a chance of winning the game, it's what we try, but we don't before games expect to win them, we just expect that it will be tough, we will have to work hard and that's what we do."
Already struggling with a long injury list before Saturday's game, Bournemouth suffered two huge blows when Nathan Ake and Callum Wilson were taken off with unspecified knocks.
Liverpool scored a minute after Ake was substituted to condemn the hosts to a fifth successive Premier League defeat, and Howe admits Bournemouth were rocked by the two incidents.
"The game seemed to hinge on Nathan's injury," he said. "Up until that point, we had looked relatively solid, we were in the game, we were a threat at different moments but he gets his injury and we concede seconds later. It was a hammer blow, a double whammy with the injury and the goal and we never recovered.
"We're going to need players to win games - you don't win matches and get points in the Premier League without good players and we've got such a long injury list now that it's obviously a big concern for the future. We've got games coming up thick and fast and we can't let this run continue.
"I don't want to make the excuse that injuries are behind everything, but you look at the number we've got and the quality of the players that we're missing, I'm not sure there are many Premier League teams that could cope with that.
"It's probably the biggest challenge we've ever faced since we've come into the Premier League, which is saying something after what we had throw at us in our first season, but I think this will be our biggest challenge."
Bournemouth travel to Chelsea next weekend - who themselves were beaten 3-1 by Everton on Saturday - and Howe knows his team need something to kick start their form.
"In the difficult moments, that's where you need the mentality the most," he added. "We have to be very resolute at the moment and almost shut out the noise from the outside and concentrate on what we're doing. But with the amount of injuries we have behind the scenes, we're getting kicked when we're down and that's really tough for us.
"It feels like we need that lift from somewhere. The trouble is no one is going to give it to you at this level, you have to create that yourself. That is the challenge for us and feeling sorry for ourselves is no help, we can't have the emotion running through us.
"We're stretched but we still have to believe in the group we play and the players we have. I do, but it needs to show on the pitch."
Analysis from Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday:
"These are the games that, for me, win you the Premier League.
"I know they're not in form but, they have a go, Bournemouth. You look and think, 'That's not the easiest game'. Liverpool made it look like an FA Cup third-round game against a League Two or a non-league team. That's no disrespect to Bournemouth but that's how Liverpool made them look; they were head and shoulders above - so, so comfortable.
"The Bournemouth goalkeeper's got to come for the first goal but Mo Salah played in second gear - he was outstanding. Jurgen Klopp's getting his changes right. I didn't think this Liverpool team had it in them, to rotate and not be weaker, but we've seen in these last few weeks that they can. The thing for me, too, is that this is not the Man City of last season. Liverpool just have to stay focused and I think it's theirs."
