Tag: Tweak

Liverpool moved nine points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to two goals from Mohamed Salah against Bournemouth.

That took Salah’s tally in the Premier League this season to 21 goals but there were worrying signs in the second half for Arne Slot as Trent Alexander-Arnold went off holding his thigh.

That was the only blemish for Liverpool as they secured an important win against one of the Premier League’s most in-form teams. Bournemouth’s last defeat in any competition had come on November 23 against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Gregg Evans and Mark Carey analyse the key talking points from the Vitality Stadium.

Salah hits 20-goal milestone and has Aguero in his sights

Salah held his nerve to tuck away the penalty that moved him onto 20 league goals for the season before adding a superb 21st in the second half.

Salah slams home his penalty (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Salah was given some rough treatment early into the game but stepped up when it mattered in the 30th minute to convert after Lewis Cook had tripped Cody Gakpo in the box. And in the 75th minute, he curled home to make it 2-0 after being set up by Curtis Jones.

Salah joins Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane in reaching the 20-goal milestone in a Premier League season for the fifth time.

The last time he hit such numbers was back in 2021-22. At 32, he’s showing no signs of slowing up. With four months of the campaign remaining, he could rival his best goalscoring Premier League season (32 goals in 2017-18).

Salah’s importance to the team, even when he isn’t at his best, is clear. His latest goal moved him to sixth on the all-time Premier League goalscoring chart (178 goals, one ahead of Frank Lampard).

Next in his sights is Sergio Aguero on 184…

Gregg Evans

Alexander-Arnold injury is a worry for Liverpool

Clutching his thigh as he departed midway through the second half, Alexander-Arnold’s injury was the only downside of an impressive away win.

(Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

Alexander-Arnold was tasked with keeping Bournemouth’s in-form left-side players in check and performed admirably for large periods.

He limited the threat of Antoine Semenyo and stayed tight to Milos Kerkez when he pushed on, and rather than bombing forward himself, he sat deep and stuck to his defensive duties for most of the game.

Seeing his afternoon cut short was disappointing, especially as he has only completed 12 full 90-minute outings in the Premier League this season.

Conor Bradley, the replacement right-back, will be braced to step in for Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday if Alexander-Arnold requires time on the sidelines.

Gregg Evans

Slot’s midfield tweak to combat the threat of Kluivert

Ryan Gravenberch has been Liverpool’s metronome this season.

From a defensive midfield position in the centre of the field, the Netherlands international’s press resistance and comfort on the ball have allowed team-mate Alexis Mac Allister to push forward and influence the game from more of an advanced position.

However, against Bournemouth, there was a notable tweak to Gravenberch’s game — he appeared to be pushed out to a wider position while Mac Allister acted more as Liverpool’s pivot in possession, as illustrated in Liverpool’s passing map in the dashboard below.

Given Bournemouth’s recent form, perhaps Slot was acutely aware of the attacking threat offered by Justin Kluivert — who likes to pull wide left from a central attacking midfield position — which forced Gravenberch across to look after his fellow countryman out of possession.

It wasn’t Gravenberch’s most influential game. There were fewer driving runs, an absence of those sharp turns, and he even picked up a yellow card in the second half for a needless foul.

However, it was a disciplined tactical display overall and only adds to the glowing praise he has been given under his new manager. With the intensity that Bournemouth provide in midfield areas, it was a job well done by Gravenberch with his slightly tweaked role.

Mark Carey

Liverpool embraced the chaos

The narratives were set.

Bournemouth have grown into one of the most effective transitional sides in the Premier League, capable of punishing you with direct play and relentless pressing. The issue? They were coming up against a Liverpool side equally comfortable playing like that — and have been for many seasons.

It was a fraught contest, full of niggly fouls and exchanges of possession as each side pressed tightly onto one another. Liverpool’s considered build-up was thrown out of the window — they showed direct play of their own, bypassing Bournemouth’s press as they looked to use their strength on the transition.

Ultimately, that is how both Salah’s goals came about. The penalty was won after a long, direct ball to Gakpo, who was tripped by Cook. The second was a typical Liverpool breakaway goal, with substitute Darwin Nunez driving forward before passing to Jones, who found Salah to finish beautifully into the top corner.

Bournemouth have gained a lot of their advantages from making games chaotic this season. Against Liverpool, they found a team willing to embrace the disorder.

Mark Carey

What did Arne Slot say?

On Alexander-Arnold: “The situation was that Trent said to me ‘you have to take me off’ and he sat on the floor.

“He felt something. I can’t tell you exactly what or how bad it is because it’s only an hour after the game.

“But it’s never a good sign when a player is asking for a substitution. I would be surprised if he plays on Thursday. Let’s hope he’s back with us as soon as possible.”

What next for Liverpool?

Thursday, February 6: Tottenham Hotspur (H), Carabao Cup semi-final (second leg), 8pm UK time, 3pm ET

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(Top photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)