Bournemouth v Liverpool: Live matchday blog
Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick as Liverpool romped to a 4-0 win at Bournemouth. An own-goal from Steve Cook furthered the Reds' advantage as they went top of the Premier League table.
And here's how the top of the table is looking...
The story of the game in Opta stats and widgets...
Full Time
Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool
Liverpool record a four-goal win at the Vitality Stadium for a second season running - and move top of the Premier League table.
Mohamed Salah struck a hat-trick while Steve Cook also netted an own-goal to give the Reds an emphatic win and maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
With Manchester City not in action until later today at Chelsea, Liverpool have moved to the summit of the table, for the time being at least.
Lallana is back on - sans name and number on the back of his new jersey.
Five minutes of added time to be played...
Liverpool are down to 10 men for the moment - Lallana has a wound on his head after a challenge and needs treatement off the field.
Wijnaldum goes close to a fifth, but glances Robertson's cross wide with his head.
Substitution
Daniels and Stanislas are off for the hosts, Mings and Rico are on.
Stat
Mohamed Salah is the first Liverpool player to score a hat-trick away from home since Suarez vs Cardiff in March 2014.
Substitution
Jordan Henderson comes on for Roberto Firmino.
Goal
GOAL! MOHAMED SALAH!
That's his hat-trick - and Mohamed Salah made it look easy.
He gets beyond Cook and goes past Begovic twice. With the 'keeper grounded and Ake on the line, the Egyptian King nonchalantly prods it into the corner.
Get in.
King's free-kick towards the top corner is plucked out of the air by Alisson.
Yellow Card
Fabinho goes into the book for a challenge on Lerma.
Own Goal
GOAL! Steve Cook OG.
The Bournemouth centre-back turns Robertson's low cross into his own goal.
Substitution
Here comes Sadio. He's on for Shaqiri, while Lallana comes on for Keita.
Bournemouth also replace Lerma with Mousset.
Sadio Mane is being readied for the Reds.
Chance for Bournemouth as King reaches Daniels' low ball into the area, but side-foots wide under pressure.
Goal
GOAL! MOHAMED SALAH!
The Egyptian King has his second of the afternoon.
Bournemouth give the ball away inside thier own half and Salah runs at Ake. Cook tries to stop him - a little cynically - but our No.11 rides the attempted challenge, shifts it onto his left and rolls a low shot across goal and into the corner.
Get in!
Kick-Off
Off again
Liverpool re-start the game at the Vitality.
The tale of the first-half tape...
Half Time
Bournemouth 0-1 Liverpool
Mohamed Salah's 10th goal of the season is the difference between the teams at the half-way stage at the Vitality Stadium.
Alisson is needed to race to the edge of the area and head Milner's wayward pass away with King ready to pounce.
Since the start of last season, Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 11 more goals than any other player in the Premier League (40 goals, 14 assists).
Chance for the hosts as Fraser's deep cross picks out Ake at the back post, but he skews his attempt wide.
And the flag was up anyway.
Stat
Mohamed Salah has scored in each of his last three league games against Bournemouth.
He has now scored the opening goal for the seventh time in the Premier League this season, at least two more times than any other player.
Goal
GOAL! MOHAMED SALAH!
Liverpool have the lead at the Vitality Stadium as Salah claims goal No.10 of the campaign.
Firmino's first-time volley catches Begovic by surprise as he lets fly from range with an effort that bounces and skids across the turf before being parried by the Bournemouth goalkeeper.
However, Salah arrives to clinically dispatch the rebound into the back of the net.
1-0 to the Reds!
Chance
A slick move by the hosts creates a shooting chance for Brooks, who sees a near-post effort parried behind by Alisson.
The resulting corner results in Surman smacking a clearance over the crossbar from 20 yards out.
King finds half a yard just inside the Reds box and rolls a tame effort wide of the far post.
Robertson's vollied cross is scrambled away by a combination of Begovic and Cook.
Fabinho's shot from the edge of the area is blocked as Liverpool crank up the pressure.
Yellow Card
Lerma is booked for a late one on Fabinho.
Salah scampers in behind Ake to reach Shaqiri's clever pass before hooking off target with his right foot.
Shaqiri lines up a free-kick 20 yards out, but it skims the top of the wall and goes behind for a corner.
Francis attempts to cushion a long free-kick into the path of King inside the box, but it rolls through to Alisson.
Naby Keita has just nutmegged both Simon Franic and Jefferson Lerma...
Kick-Off
Here we go...
Bournemouth start the game.
Come on you Reds!
"Na naa na na..."
Opus' iconic track 'Life is Life' is belting out inside the Vitality.
All together now, Jürgen Klopp...
Here come the teams at the Vitality Stadium...
Weather
RAIN ALERT!
The rain is coming down at a fair pace inside the Vitality Stadium now, with the arena having earlier been basking in morning winter sunshine.
It's that fine rain as well, you know the one I mean.
The pitch will certainly have a slick surface come kick off.
Arrivals...
Dressing room ready
Odds on
How do the bookmakers see this one, we hear you ask!
Never fear, BetVictor have furnished us with the following information...
Bournemouth: 6/1
Draw: 7/2
Liverpool:1/2
Fancy those odds? Click here to place a bet and view BetVictor's match specials.
Klopp explains team selection
James Milner will be deployed at right-back on the occasion of his 500th Premier League appearance, Jürgen Klopp has confirmed.
“It’s no problem. I thought it could be a problem, but obviously he would have even played goalkeeper in game number 500!” said the boss.
“We need to be flexible, all of us, in this period – different positions, different jobs to do in the games. But it’s only slightly different and Millie knows it from his time at left-back.
“We are a very offensive-orientated team, which means he is very often in a comfortable area. With his experience, and especially against Bournemouth with the counter-attack, you need all the defensive skills as well. Fraser, Brooks, Stanislas or whoever are all nice and speedy, King as well.
“It’s a job to do, but it’s nice to be part of the 500th Premier League game of Millie.”
Elsewhere, Klopp has made five changes for the fixture with the Cherries, including recalls for Fabinho, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, while Andy Robertson is back after a knock.
The manager added: “I don’t think any of the boys have to show they are ready for a test or whatever. It was clear when we built the squad for the season that we wanted to have opportunities like that.
“It’s never easy because for football, rhythm is a very important thing and if you have no rhythm, like you saw in the first half against Burnley, it makes life a bit uncomfortable, but that’s normal. Having that game was very, very important and then the second half showed everything is fine.
“Now we have to do the same again because it’s only three days since Burnley, and we play our next game in three days. We don’t think about Napoli in the moment, but we cannot ignore it from an intensity point of view.”
How Opta see it...
The Reds...
The hosts...
TEAM NEWS
There are five changes for Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium for today's clash with AFC Bournemouth as Andy Robertson, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino are recalled.
Sadio Mane is passed fit to be named on the bench.
Liverpool: Alisson, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Milner, Wijnaldum, Keita, Shaqiri, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Mignolet, Mane, Henderson, Sturridge, Lallana, Origi, Alexander-Arnold.
Listen in live
As ever, the most passionate LFC commentary around - ours! - will be available for today's game. Just click here shortly before kick-off to listen to Steve Hunter and Nigel Spackman call the action.
All set on the south coast
Howe: Reds are genuine title contenders
If his programme notes are anything to go by, Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has been impressed with the Reds this term.
"Liverpool are genuine title contenders having made a strong start to the season, so we know what a difficult challenge this will provide us. But it is one we relish," writes Howe.
Cherries captain Simon Francis, meanwhile, notes: "Liverpool remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season along with Manchester City, so if there was any doubt that shows us how hard today's game will be."
The last meeting
It was at Anfield in April when these sides last faced each other, Liverpool running out 3-0 winners that evening. Enjoy the best of that game again below...
Klopp's clear focus on the Cherries
Victory at Vitality Stadium would lift Liverpool to the summit of the Premier League - temporarily, at the very least. But the manager is not giving a second's thought to that prospect, for a very good reason.
"That's not the first target," he said. "The first target is to perform on the highest level because it's needed against Bournemouth.
"They play a fantastic season [and] it's just an outstanding job what Eddie [Howe] is doing there, so it will be difficult enough. But of course I know every player knows about it so I don't have to mention it, it's clear."
Stat attack
Did you know these?
- Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah could set a club record; no Liverpool player has ever scored in three successive games against Bournemouth
- Firmino's goal at Burnley in midweek extended an unusual run - LFC have not lost any of the away matches he has netted in (20 wins, three draws)
- Last season's 4-0 win at Vitality Stadium was the Reds' biggest ever victory over the Cherries
- Liverpool have scored first in 12 of their 15 Premier League games this season
Milner's milestone
It could be a special afternoon for James Milner.
The Liverpool No.7 is in line to make his 500th Premier League appearance, becoming only the 13th player to achieve that feat and the first since Steven Gerrard in April 2015.
A busy day
This fixture is the first of an action-packed Premier League schedule. Here is a reminder of today's games across the country and the status in the top eight before a ball is kicked...
Team news
We'll have confirmed line-ups at 11.30am GMT but we do already know quite a lot about who won't be involved on the south coast today.
Nathaniel Clyne, Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren and Dominic Solanke miss out for Liverpool, while Bournemouth are without Lewis Cook and Dan Gosling.
Sadio Mane is a doubt for the visitors, too, but Andy Robertson and Georginio Wijnaldum are back.
The manager's view
Klopp discussed the trip to Bournemouth and the challenge awaiting his team during a pre-match press conference on Friday.
The boss also gave a detailed injury update to the media. See everything he had to say via our official YouTube channel below...
Seventh v second
Two of the Premier League's in-form teams this season meet this lunchtime - here are all the numbers behind their respective campaigns so far...
Welcome back
Here we go again...
Liverpool's third Premier League game in six days sees Jürgen Klopp's men take on Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium today.
Stick with us for build-up, confirmed team news, live updates throughout the 90 minutes, post-match reaction and more.
