AFC Bournemouth 0 - 4 Liverpool: Salah strikes again as Liverpool ease to win

Posted Monday, December 18, 2017 by PA

Mohamed Salah struck his 14th goal of the Premier League campaign as Liverpool thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 at Dean Court to climb to fourth place.

Egypt forward Salah became the first Premier League player to reach 20 goals in all competitions this season, with Philippe Coutinho, Dejan Lovren and Roberto Firmino also on target.

Jurgen Klopp's men extended their unbeaten league streak to nine games under precious little pressure, getting back to winning ways after successive draws against Everton and West Brom.

The Reds' routine south coast win tees up a tasty Premier League encounter at Arsenal on Friday night, given Liverpool leapfrogged the Gunners in the table here.

Bournemouth slipped to their sixth league match without a win, leaving Eddie Howe's side just one point off the relegation zone.

The Cherries face a daunting trip to record-breaking runaway leaders Manchester City in their next league encounter, following Wednesday night's Carabao Cup clash at Chelsea.

Liverpool's victory was so effortless as to render the final 15 minutes devoid of almost any intensity, and this above all will prove Howe's chief concern amid demoralising defeat.

Liverpool dominated from the off, Coutinho unlucky not to open the scoring when whipping a free-kick against the upright after Ake's cheap foul on Firmino.

The Brazilian did strike first mere minutes later though, scything between Simon Francis and the beleaguered Lewis Cook before slotting home.

Salah's backheel sent Henderson overlapping down the right, and only a deflection off Adam Smith stopped Firmino from doubling Liverpool's lead.

Lovren's diving header put the Reds two to the good inside half an hour, via Georginio Wijnaldum's near-post flick and Firmino keeping the ball in play by hooking back across goal.

Junior Stanislas' arrival to replace the injured Josh King finally sparked some life in Bournemouth, and the 28-year-old quickly sent Jermain Defoe haring through on goal.

Everyone in the ground expected a trademark finish, but somehow the England striker dragged his low drive against the post.

Stanislas then ought to have finished when hacking at a smart cutback, but that proved the sum total of the Cherries' fightback.

Begovic denied Salah at point-blank range after Coutinho chipped through, but finally the Egypt forward bagged his goal before the break.

Salah terrorised Charlie Daniels for the third time in the half, customarily cut inside and fired low past Begovic.

Replacement Ryan Fraser blasted wide and Daniels trudged off injured for Bournemouth after the break, before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck a post for the visitors.

Firmino added a facile fourth when nudging home Coutinho's whipped cross before the game meandered to its close.