Match ends, Liverpool 2, Bournemouth 1.
Jurgen Klopp said he will "never compare" himself to former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly after his side beat Bournemouth to take another major step towards a first league title in 30 years.
The victory was Liverpool's 22nd successive Premier League win at Anfield, breaking the English top-flight record set by Shankly's team in 1972.
"We didn't think about that number before the game, but after we can," said Klopp. "It's nice, it's special, but today is a very good example that we have to fight."
The hosts fell behind in controversial circumstances, Callum Wilson slotting home Jefferson Lerma's low cross after appearing to shove Joe Gomez in the build-up to the goal.
Liverpool soon hit their stride, however, and Mohamed Salah - making his 100th league appearance for the club - restored parity with a low finish after Sadio Mane dispossessed Jack Simpson deep inside the Cherries' half.
Mane latched on to Virgil van Dijk's perfectly weighted through-ball to complete the turnaround, but Liverpool needed a brilliant goal-line clearance from James Milner to prevent Ryan Fraser from hauling Bournemouth back on level terms in a nervy second half.
"We're not geniuses, but we can really fight and that's all we have to do until the end of the season," said Klopp, who confirmed captain Jordan Henderson - missing with a hamstring injury - is likely to resume full training on Sunday before the Champions League last-16 second leg at home to Atletico Madrid.
"I think he will train tomorrow. If that looks good, I have to make a decision."
The win means Liverpool could be champions by the time they play Everton in the league on 16 March - if Manchester City lose their next three games against Manchester United, Arsenal and Burnley.
Eddie Howe's Bournemouth side remain in the relegation zone, level on points with Watford and West Ham but with a worse goal difference than their nearest rivals at the bottom.
Reds back to winning ways - just
Klopp spoke before the game about "getting back on track immediately" after watching his side slip to consecutive defeats in the league and FA Cup.
They made the worst possible start, however, as Bournemouth capitalised on the Reds' early nerves to take a shock lead - albeit in controversial fashion.
Wilson finished off a neat move involving Lerma and Philip Billing, but Liverpool felt the goal should have been disallowed for the striker's push on Gomez. The video assistant referee saw no infringement and the goal was given.
Things could have got worse for Liverpool when Nathan Ake's powerful header was unconvincingly shovelled on to the top of the crossbar by stand-in goalkeeper Adrian, although they continued to create chances and deservedly restored parity through Salah's low finish - his 70th league goal for the club.
If Bournemouth fans could have been forgiven for fearing the worst when Mane scored with a delightful dink over Aaron Ramsdale 12 minutes before half-time, Liverpool failed to carry that momentum into the second half.
Chances were few and far between until Ryan Fraser spotted Adrian off his line, with the retreating Milner producing an outstanding clearance, while Mane's 25-yard strike cannoned back off the bar.
Individual errors cost Bournemouth
Having seen his side taken a deserved early lead, Howe will be bitterly disappointed with the manner of Liverpool's two first-half goals.
Simpson, who replaced the injured Steve Cook after 19 minutes, was easily dispossessed by Mane in the build-up to Salah's equaliser, before another sloppy pass allowed Van Dijk to tee up the Senegal forward for Liverpool's second.
There were positives for Bournemouth, who caused Liverpool problems and were only denied a share of the spoils by Milner's superb clearance from Fraser's looping effort.
Ake spurned an opportunity to equalise in the 90th minute when he opted to pass to the offside Wilson with only Adrian to beat.
However, Bournemouth will need to cut out individual mistakes if they are to prolong their five-year stay in the Premier League.
"The two goals come from us having possession and they punished us on the transition," Howe said. "It was a ruthless game for us today because I don't think we did much wrong."
With games against Wolves, Manchester United, Tottenham and Leicester coming up, Bournemouth will be desperate to claim maximum points at home to Crystal Palace in their next league match.
Man of the match - Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Reds stretch unbeaten Anfield run - the stats
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their past 55 league matches at Anfield (W45 D10). Only Chelsea between 2004-2008 (86 games) have had a longer unbeaten run at home in Premier League history.
- Since the start of last season, Bournemouth have lost more Premier League away games than any other side (24).
- Bournemouth have lost all eight of their Premier League matches against teams starting the day in first place by an aggregate score of 27-4.
- Mohamed Salah is the first Liverpool player to score 20 goals in all competitions in three consecutive seasons since Michael Owen in 2000-01 and 2002-03.
- Salah has scored 70 goals in 100 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, seven more than any other player in their first 100 for the club (Fernando Torres 63). Only Alan Shearer with Blackburn (79) has scored more goals in his first 100 Premier League appearances for a club in the competition's history.
- Liverpool's Sadio Mane has had a hand in six goals in his past four Premier League starts against Bournemouth (4 goals, 2 assists).
- Callum Wilson's opener was the first Premier League goal Bournemouth have scored against Liverpool since April 2017 (Josh King), ending a run of 17 consecutive goals scored by the Reds in this fixture.
'We have to give everyone a proper fight' - what the managers said
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, speaking to BBC Sport: "I know what the boys are able to do, but I am not the one that is playing - they are. We have said before, confidence is not something that you get, put in your pocket and keep for the rest of your life. It comes and goes. You need that feeling where things work out.
"You have to fight hard - that's always the main thing to do - but we have 82 points now, which is really nice. We have to carry on fighting, give everyone a proper fight - and that's what we did today."
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, speaking to BBC Sport: "We gave it a go. We started really well and looked a threat on the counter-attack. Their two goals came from the transition. They punished us when it counted.
"We made a mistake for the first goal, and the second was similar - we had the ball, seconds later we are conceding. We gave everything to it but came away with nothing.
"Losing Steve Cook was a big moment, and Phil [Billing] couldn't really move at the end. We couldn't have a full assault at them."
What's next?
Liverpool host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) before travelling to Everton in the Merseyside derby on 16 March (20:00).
Bournemouth welcome Crystal Palace to the Vitality Stadium in their next league match on 14 March (15:00).
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Adrián
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 12Gomez
- 4van Dijk
- 7Milner
- 15Oxlade-ChamberlainSubstituted forLallanaat 84'minutes
- 3Fabinho
- 5Wijnaldum
- 11Salah
- 9FirminoSubstituted forOrigiat 90+2'minutes
- 10Mané
Substitutes
- 8Keita
- 18Minamino
- 20Lallana
- 22Lonergan
- 27Origi
- 32Matip
- 76N Williams
Bournemouth
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 12Ramsdale
- 17Stacey
- 3S CookSubstituted forSimpsonat 19'minutes
- 5Aké
- 15A Smith
- 8LermaSubstituted forGoslingat 80'minutes
- 24Fraser
- 29Billing
- 16L Cook
- 19StanislasSubstituted forSolankeat 68'minutes
- 13WilsonBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 1Boruc
- 4Gosling
- 6Surman
- 9Solanke
- 21Rico
- 25Simpson
- 44Surridge
- Referee:
- Paul Tierney
- Attendance:
- 53,323
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home75%
- Away25%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away4
- Corners
- Home9
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Liverpool 2, Bournemouth 1.
Post update
James Milner (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Jack Stacey (Bournemouth).
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Sadio Mané (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Adam Smith (Bournemouth).
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Foul by Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
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Adam Smith (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Divock Origi replaces Roberto Firmino.
Booking
Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
James Milner (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Callum Wilson (Bournemouth).
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Attempt missed. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Mohamed Salah following a fast break.
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Offside, Bournemouth. Lewis Cook tries a through ball, but Nathan Aké is caught offside.
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Foul by James Milner (Liverpool).
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Jack Stacey (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Adam Lallana replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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Attempt missed. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Georginio Wijnaldum.
Post update
Foul by Sadio Mané (Liverpool).
Post update
Adam Smith (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Comments
Join the conversation
YNWA
Gomez clearly won the race to get to the ball 1st and as he’s about to control it Wilson clearly shoves him in the back to make him overrun it!
How the onfield referee, the linesman and the video referee all missed that I’ll never know!
Liverpool FC – 25 points clear, IN SPITE OF VAR!
So is the Spirit of Shankly alive and well in Jurgen Klopp?
Vote UP for YES
Vote DOWN for NO
Premier league almost wrapped!
40 points ahead of ManU!
25 Points ahead of Man City
Equal Man City 18 game winning run
Beat every opponent this season
Champions of Europe, Champions of the World, Super Cup
Some of the best football played by any team over the whole season!
30 year wait but about to become the best premier league title ever!
Vote up!!
Not bad for a team whose wheels have come off!
Of course, if he had gone down, like almost any other player in that situation would have, he would have got a free kick and then been called a diver!
That referee changed the whole dynamic of the game but well done the Reds for overcoming his incompetence!
YNWA
UP Vote to thank Klopp and his team.
Dominated Bournemouth.
A staggering 25 Points ahead of Man City and 40 points ahead of Man United. Beaten every opponent in the league.
30 years wait but Liverpool are the Champions in waiting by a record margin.
Still know how to win the hard way and how to dig deep when needed.
Three wins from History.
The World Champions.
UP UP Arrow if you agree.
What an unbelievable signing 👏👏
Enjoy your success Liverpool it’s definitely deserved.
Wolves fan.
Utd will never win another European Cup or PL title in my Life time, and statistically I am only 2/5ths of the way through! 😂😂😂😂
25 pts clear at the Top
European Champions
World Champions
European Super Cup Champs
Top of The Perch
Most successful English Club Ever!
Up Arrow if you know that Utd & City fans will be in utmost bits watching Liverpool win the BIG Trophies whilst their Clubs scrap for tin pots like the Carabao & FA Cup 😂
But (isn't there always a "but") Atletico Madrid will eat them alive unless they blow out those winter break cobwebs and sharpen up.
Not doing that "it's only Bournemouth" nonsense!
Have absolutely no idea how the ref saw that push on Gomez as not a foul...
Best ever team in England without doubt.
"Liverpool the only team that rode there luck all season can not be beaten now but they will struggle next season to keep the title"
Last season Dave you said Liverpool bottled it and will never win the title, this season you sprout 'they will not keep the title next season'. Roll on next season for Dave's insightful quotes