Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth: Reds equal Premier League record in crushing win

Liverpool equalled the Premier League’s record win as they crushed sorry Bournemouth 9-0 at Anfield to claim their first victory of the season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side went into the match facing sharp questions about an injury-depleted squad after losing 2-1 to Manchester United on Monday.

But those questions were answered in remarkable fashion against Scott Parker’s side, scoring twice in the opening six minutes and five times in the first half.

Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a fine header before Harvey Elliott found the net for the first time in the Premier League. Trent Alexander-Arnold responded to critics of his performance at Old Trafford with a spectacular strike before Roberto Firmino completed three first-half assists with a goal and Virgil van Dijk headed in a fifth.

Chris Mepham’s own goal continued after the restart, while Firmino and Diaz doubled their tally either side of Fabio Carvalho’s goal to make Premier League history.

Diaz found the top right corner with a powerful header back across goal from Firmino’s cross and Elliott produced both the positioning and power to bend into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area.

Mohamed Salah twice saw chances looming as he turned wide at the end of a complex move involving Diaz, Firmino and Elliott before his close-range volley was converted by Mark Travers.

But Travers was unable to deny Alexander-Arnold as he fired a scorching long-range effort into the top-left corner and was soon picking the ball out of his own net again as the excellent Firmino volleyed home after deflecting Salah’s cross into his own net. way.

Bournemouth were in even more pain in the first half, courtesy of Van Dijk, whose towering header from Andrew Robertson’s corner made it 5-0.

Bournemouth’s day was encapsulated 60 seconds into the second half when Mepham turned into his own net under pressure from Diaz, who was in an offside position.

Firmino headed in after Travers spilled a cross from Robertson, Carvalho then got in on the act with a volley and Diaz headed home a near-post corner.