Reds recover from horror start to win but suffer huge blow as Mac Allister faces ban for red
SO MUCH for Jurgen Klopp insisting that Liverpool have been re – loaded.
True enough Luis Diaz, Mo Salah and Diogo Jota got the goals that claimed a ten-man comeback victory.
But for the first nine nightmare minutes the Liverpool boss saw his side shooting itself in the foot on automatic.
There was escape against the Cherries, even though Alexis MacAllister was red – carded.
Yet this was a Liverpool side flying by the seat of its pants and just about staying airborne.
And boss Klopp won’t have enjoyed it especially as kick – off signalled chaos.
Only 57 seconds on the clock when Dominic Szoboszlai, making his home debut after arriving for £60M from RB Leipzig lost possession 30 yards out.
Jaidon Anthony dashed through, with Allison off his line and stranded, to roll the ball into an empty net.
The strike by the winger was marginally offside and his effort ruled out.
Yet Reds relief didn’t last long for only a minute and a half later came another blunder and this time there was only punishment.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold was ambushed 30 yards out the right back having moved inside to his hybrid midfield role.
It was hardly the moment he would have imagined given that he was making his 200th Prem appearance, at the age of 24 years and 316 days the second youngest to do so behind Michael Owen.
Phillip Billing pounced and Antoine Semenyo buried his right footer at the Kop End.
Van Dijk came close to restoring order at the other end only to see his header smack off Neto’s bar.
Yet more panic would soon ensue and the player caught up in at all more than anybody was Alisson.
The Brazilian normally rated as cool as they come dithered with the ball at his feet in the box, then produced a weak clearance that went straight to Anthony
He pounced on Alisson’s awful error then the goalkeeper completely lost his head, flying out of his area and wiping him out.
Referee Thomas Bramall brandished only a yellow and amazingly VAR Paul Tierney went along with it.
After all that mayhem Liverpool began to make it business as usual in the 28th minute against the side they trounced 9 – 0 at Anfield last season.
Jota clipped inside to Diaz and while the pass was slightly behind him he still managed to flick the ball into the air with his right foot before producing a spectacular overhead kick finish.
Eight minutes later Mo Salah put Liverpool ahead after Szoboszlai went down under an innocuous challenge by Joe Rothwell just inside the box.
Referee Bramall bought that one but while Salah’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Neto the Egyptian claimed his ninth goal in nine Prem games against the Cherries.
Mac Allister, also on his Anfield debut following his £35M switch from Brighton, got his marching orders the 58th minute.
He was stunned and there seemed no intent but on what was becoming a bit of a trial for referee Bramall a red card was shown and VAR went along with that too.
Yet bad as they had been in defence, Klopp’s men had a very decent afternoon going forward in the end.
Before new £16.2M addition Wataru Endo could come on for his debut to show his abilities as a holding midfielder Jota effectively ended the contest.
Neto parried a 20 yard shot from Szoboszlai but the Portuguese was lying in wait – and made no mistake.