Liverpool moved back into the top four in the Premier League with an emphatic 4-0 victory at Bournemouth on Sunday night to ease the pressure that had begun to build on Jurgen Klopp.
Philippe Coutinho, Dejan Lovren, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were all on the scoresheet as the Merseyside club proved too strong for Bournemouth.
The result leapfrogs them up two places from sixth, with Klopp’s men taking fourth by a point from Arsenal, the side they next play on Friday.
20 goals in all competitions! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/V8N6gPy3SW
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 17, 2017
The pressure of trying to finish in the top four, with the Premier League title already seeming to be far beyond Liverpool with Manchester City comfortably clear at the front, appeared to be getting to Klopp last week.
Firstly he argued with a TV interviewer and then journalists after a controversial late penalty had given Everton a 1-1 draw at Anfield in the Merseyside derby.
Liverpool were then frustrated on Wednesday night as struggling West Bromwich Albion held them to a goalless draw.
But Klopp’s men bounced back in earnest with a dominant display on the south coast for the second time in December, coming two weekends after they had won 5-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Coutinho’s solo effort in the 20th minute as he fired home from long range gave Liverpool the lead, and they took a firm grip on proceedings six minutes later as Lovren got his head on a centre from Firmino to find the net.
Bournemouth were constantly on the backfoot but their day was summed up when Jermain Defoe struck the post with their best chance of the half.
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Any realistic chance Eddie Howe’s men had of denying Liverpool the three points was extinguished on the stroke of half time as Salah scored his 20th goal of the season after good work from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The second half became a case of damage limitation for struggling Bournemouth, who remain one point outside the relegation places in 16th place after Sunday’s result.
Firmino went from creator to scorer as he got the fourth goal with 25 minutes remaining as he nodded in a cross from Coutinho, while Defoe was denied a consolation goal for the hosts by Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Klopp substituted both Firmino and Salah in the closing stages, with one eye on the coming hectic festive period of games, which starts with Friday’s trip to the Emirates Stadium.
