Slot and Alisson both fuming as Liverpool concede after sub delayed | Football | Sport
Arne Slot and Alisson were visibly angry after Liverpool chose to retain possession rather than putting the ball out of play to allow Joe Gomez to be substituted. The centre-back was struggling after colliding with Alisson in the 26th minute as Evanilson gave Bournemouth a 1-0 lead against the reigning Premier League champions on Saturday evening. The match continued as Wataru Endo prepared on the touchline to come on for Gomez, with Liverpool largely controlling the ball.
Yet when possession changed without the ball leaving the pitch, the Cherries capitalised on the Reds’ error in judgement. James Hill was permitted to surge deep into Liverpool‘s territory unopposed as Slot’s men maintained their formation, before picking out Alex Jiminez racing into the penalty area from the right wing 33 minutes in. The Spaniard then calmly tucked the ball beneath Alisson to make it 2-0 to the home side.
The Liverpool goalkeeper’s frustration was clear as he stared in disbelief at his teammates, whilst Slot was seen raging given his starting eleven had ample opportunity to kick the ball into touch to enable Endo to replace Gomez before they lost possession. Virgil van Dijk managed to reduce the deficit just before half-time, meeting Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner at the near post and beating Djordje Petrovic with a powerful header.
Should Gomez have sustained an injury during his collision with Alisson in the build-up to Bournemouth’s second goal, it could spell serious trouble for Liverpool. The Reds are already short of options at the back, with Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley’s seasons over due to knocks.
Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate was unavailable for Saturday’s meeting with Bournemouth following the passing of his father, Hamady. Elsewhere, Andy Robertson has been touted for a switch to Spurs this month as his Anfield contract winds down, which could see Kostas Tsimikas cut short his loan spell with Roma.
Further fitness concerns arose when Liverpool emerged for the second period, with Milos Kerkez withdrawn against his old side and Robertson shifted to left-back in his place. However, it remains unclear whether the Hungarian’s withdrawal was tactical or injury-related.
Liverpool also opted not to sign Marc Guehi during the January transfer window, with the former Crystal Palace captain choosing a move to Manchester City instead. The Premier League giants had been chasing the centre-back for most of the summer and were on the verge of a £35million deal for Guehi until it fell through at the last minute on deadline day.
