Welcome to the LFC Final Word. In this series, I provide an in-depth analysis of games from a Liverpool supporter's perspective.

Match Facts

Liverpool vs Bournemouth

Anfield

Saturday 9th February, 15:00

Result

Liverpool 3 - 0 Bournemouth

Betting Results

  • Over 2.5 goals: win
  • Over 3.5 goals: loss
  • Over 4.5 goals: loss

Match Summary

With Manchester City having returned to the top of the league following their win against Everton, Liverpool needed to make this game in hand count. There has been a lot of talk about Liverpool going through a crisis at the moment but, taking injuries and icy conditions into account, two draws against Leicester and West Ham is hardly the end of the world. Of course, it still isn't ideal and Liverpool put in a couple of sub-par performances which is something Klopp would have wanted to put right as soon as possible. With Wijnaldum returning to the midfield, Liverpool were handed an immediate boost, and this was an opportunity to show Manchester City that the Reds are going to fight for the Premier League title.

Anfield was rocking throughout the match, with the atmosphere akin to that found during an important European cup knockout match under the lights. The energy of the crowd was matched by the Liverpool starting 11 and the Reds looked comfortable throughout the game. Wijnaldum, who has been suffering from a stomach bug over the last couple of days, put in a performance that demonstrated just how important he is to this Liverpool. Notably, Keita finally started to shine as a Liverpool player and looked classy throughout the match. What impressed me the most about him, however, was his eagerness to be involved. Throughout the entire game, he was constantly finding space, urging his teammates to pass the ball to him. If he can get a run of games under his belt over the next couple of months then this is a player who can play a big role in Liverpool's title race.

The most important thing here was for Liverpool to go out and take all 3 points to put themselves back at the top of the Premier League with a 3 point gap. However, the Reds played some wonderful football against Bournemouth and there were no signs of any pressure, despite what the media and rival fans will have you believe. This is clearly a team that is enjoying the season and, with 12 games to go, they simply need to treat every game like a cup final and see where they land at the end.

The Anfield turf looked a lot better from my seat today than it did after the snow recently

The Final Word

This was a job well done for Klopp's team and if it's the end of the apparent crisis of form then Liverpool will be happy to have come out of the other side having only lost 1 game to Manchester City all season. Nonetheless, there are bigger tests ahead and Liverpool must remain prepared to fight if they are to lift the Premier League trophy this season. Attention now turns to the Champions League and it will be interesting to see how Klopp approaches the upcoming game against Bayern Munich with a Premier League game against Manchester United also on the horizon.