Liverpool Player Ratings vs AFC Bournemouth: Diaz and Firmino shine in Anfield rout
“WE WANT TEN! WE WANT TEN!”, the screams from the stands towards the closing stages of the game but Liverpool fell one short. An incredible effort at Anfield from the Reds saw Liverpool ship nine goals past AFC Bournemouth this Saturday, giving them their first win of the season.
Liverpool gaffer Jurgen Klopp demanded a reaction from his players after three winless games, and that is exactly what he got. With John Henry watching on, the Reds took out their frustrations on a hapless Cherries side that had no chance.
Luis Diaz opened the scoring in the third minute before Harvey Elliott made it two in the sixth minute. Goals from Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk made the score 5-0 at half-time.
The Reds came out firing after the break and forced Chris Mepham into finding the back of his own net. Firmino made it seven before Fabio Carvalho came off the bench to make it eight. The youngster scored his first goal for the club in front of the Kop and the memory will stay with him forever.
Diaz finished the rout, making it nine. While Liverpool did rush forward to score more, Bournemouth held on and saw the game out. If the fans were seeking a response from the players, they could not have asked for a more emphatic one.
Here are the player ratings for Liverpool’s Players
Alisson Becker: 7/10
One could argue whether Alisson was actually playing the game. He saw minimal action and was as much a bystander as John Henry in the stands.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 9/10
The right-back shut his critics with a wonderful strike that fizzed into the Bournemouth goal. It was reminiscent of the goal he scored against Newcastle United last season at Anfield. Defensively solid as well, Trent recovered the ball on 12 occasions and created numerous chances, including the assist for Mepham’s own goal.
Virgil van Dijk: 9/10
The Dutchman did extremely well to take his goal from Andy Robertson’s corner. After a tough start to the season, he looked almost like his usual self today against the Cherries. A World-class outing from a world-class defender winning 100% of his duels.
Joe Gomez: 8/10
Gomez made nine recoveries in the game, blocking one shot and making a couple of interceptions. Was not involved in the attack as much as his defensive counterpart. Rock-hard at the back as well.
Andrew Robertson: 9/10
Scotsman Andy showed glimpses of his usual self with his work rate. He took his set-pieces wonderfully, resulting in a Van Dijk goal. Won 100% of his Aerial Duels to top that off. Was taken off for Kostas Tsimikas in the 69th minute.
Fabinho: 8/10
Fabinho was the one change from the line-up against Manchester United. He showed the gaffer today his importance in the starting XI by guarding the backline very efficiently. Pretty much like the rest of the defence, he had nothing much to do but when it mattered, the Brazilian showed up.
Jordan Henderson: 8/10
The skipper put in a shift in the 70 minutes he played. His work rate was crucial to Liverpool retaining possession in the middle of the park.
Harvey Elliott: 8/10
The 19-year-old took his goal beautifully after receiving the assist from a Roberto Firmino heavy touch. A curler into the bottom corner saw him score his first Premier League goal. He linked up with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right flank and is worthy of his rating.
Mohamed Salah: 8/10
In a game wherein Liverpool scored nine goals, one could only expect a goal contribution or two from the Egyptian King. Surprisingly, he walked back into the tunnel with neither. Nevertheless, he made some good runs and squandered two excellent chances to get his name on the scoresheet.
Roberto Firmino: 10/10
It is only fair to rate Roberto “Bobby” Firmino a perfect 10. He created the most chances in the game; four. Three assists and a goal in the first half. Took his second goal of the day from close range, halfway through the second. It was almost like watching Bobby from the 2018-19 season with his amazing link-up play with Luis Diaz and Salah.
Luis Diaz: 9/10
The Colombian completed the most dribbles in the game; two. He took both of his goals beautifully, opening and closing the scoring for the day. While it is usually his legs that do the talking, the South American this time used his head to beat the Cherries defence twice.
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Substitutes
Fabio Carvalho: 8/10
The 19-year-old came on at halftime for his mate Harvey Elliott and strung together a good set of passes throughout his spell in the game. A strong volley from a Kostas Tsimikas cutback inside the box saw him score his first goal for Liverpool, and in front of the Kop. Things could not have been better for the ex-Fulham boy.
Kostas Tsimikas: 8/10
Two assists in just 20 minutes. Talk about an impact substitution by Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders. 91% pass accuracy alongside taking two beautiful corners, one of which resulted in a goal. Good sharp performance from the Greek in the short while he featured.
James Milner: 7/10
Came on for Jordan Henderson and did the same job as the skipper. He put in a good shift and almost made it 10-0 on the night. He made three recoveries on the night and was a solid substitution.
Stefan Bajcetic: 7/10
Even though he came on with 20 minutes to go, he did not create a lasting impact on the game. It was a solid yet unspectacular debut for the 17-year-old after an impressive pre-season.
Bobby Clark N/A
Seven touches in his brief appearance of seven minutes. The Englishman just made one pass in those minutes and did not appear to be fazed by the occasion.
