Liverpool looked to recovered from a first-half defensive collapse, but they conceded at the death to lose 3-2 at Bournemouth.
Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool
Premier League (23) | Vitality Stadium
January 24, 2026
Goals
Evanilson 27′
Jimenez 33′
Van Dijk 45+1′ (assist: Szoboszlai)
Szoboszlai 80′ (assist: Salah)
Adli 90+5′
Team news: Gakpo back in XI as the only change
Arne Slot made only one change from the midweek win at Marseille, naming Cody Gakpo in attack in place of Hugo Ekitike as Liverpool manage the Frenchman’s minutes.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 24, 2026: Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch (L) and Cody Gakpo before the FA Premier League match between Bournemouth AFC and Liverpool FC at Dean Court. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Andy Robertson was among the substitutes amid a growing expectation of a transfer to Tottenham, but there was no place for Federico Chiesa after pulling out of the squad in midweek.
Mo Salah, who is Liverpool’s leading goalscorer against Bournemouth, was named for his first league start since November 22, as Slot opted for a similar 4-2-2-2 setup from midweek.
Another defensive injury and collapse in the first
Liverpool started with refreshing fluidity on a wet night on the south coast, but the same issue persisted when it came to conceding the first shot on target.
Despite Salah and Florian Wirtz probing in the final third, it was the hosts who struck first just before the half-hour mark, and Virgil van Dijk will not want to watch it back.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 24, 2026: Liverpool's Joe Gomez lies injured after clashing with goalkeeper Alisson Becker (R) whilst conceeding the first goal during the FA Premier League match between Bournemouth AFC and Liverpool FC at Dean Court. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The captain carelessly backed off after an attempted clearance appeared to be heading over the byline, but Alex Scott kept it alive to tee up Evanilson for 1-0.
The woes quickly compounded as Joe Gomez‘s desperation to get in the way of the strike saw him collide with Alisson, with a knee-on-knee collision forcing him off – surely causes a Robertson rethink!
Wataru Endo was summoned off the bench as his direct replacement, but it took seven minutes for him to come on, meaning Liverpool were left a man short despite having countless opportunities to kick the ball out of play.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 24, 2026: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk scores his side's first goal during the FA Premier League match between Bournemouth AFC and Liverpool FC at Dean Court. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
It came at the price of going 2-0 down as Alex Jimenez slipped by Milos Kerkez and fired a shot under Alisson, with Van Dijk the man keeping him onside in the buildup.
Late hope arrived from a rare source, though, with Van Dijk steering a header into the back of the net from Dominik Szoboszlai‘s corner – Liverpool’s second goal from an astonishing 122 corner deliveries.
Half-time: Bournemouth 2-1 Liverpool
Sickening defeat at the death
The interval brought another defensive change, with Robertson – who was eulogised by the away fans – replacing Kerkez after a testing opening half on his Bournemouth return.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 24, 2026: Liverpool's Andy Robertson during the FA Premier League match between Bournemouth AFC and Liverpool FC at Dean Court. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Slot’s men quickly assumed dominance on the ball, as they did throughout the first half, but did nothing to test Djordje Petrovic – and that prompted a double change.
Curtis Jones and Ekitike were introduced for Jeremie Frimpong and Alexis Mac Allister before the hour mark, forcing another defensive shuffle as Szoboszlai moved to right-back.
Liverpool backline vs. Bournemouth
Start of match: Frimpong, Gomez, Van Dijk, Kerkez
End of match: Szoboszlai, Endo, Van Dijk, Robertson
Liverpool’s efforts on goal were confined to the edge of the box or outside it, with none landing on target until the 80th minute – and Szoboszlai made it count by scoring the equaliser.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - Saturday, January 24, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates after scoring his side's second and equalising goal during the FA Premier League match between Bournemouth AFC and Liverpool FC at Dean Court. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Rio Ngumoha, introduced in place of Gakpo, won the free-kick on the edge of the penalty box, and Salah’s planned back-heel opened up the angle for the No. 8 to curl his effort around the wall.
The game quickly opened up, with Alisson forced into a crucial fingertip save to keep the parity, while Wirtz came close with a shot across the goalface.
But a long throw at the death saw Liverpool come unstuck again as a scramble in the six-yard box led to the inevitable, with Bournemouth ending the Reds’ 13-game unbeaten run .
TIA Man of the Match: Florian Wirtz
Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool: Match facts
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong (Jones 59′), Gomez (Endo 35′), Van Dijk, Kerkez (Robertson 46′); Gravenberch, Mac Allister (Ekitike 59′), Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo (Ngumoha 74′)
Subs not used: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Ramsay, Jones, Nyoni, Ekitike
Bournemouth: Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Cook; Jimenez (Toth 85′), Kroupi (Christie 67′), Adli; Evanilson
Subs not used: Forster, Diakite, Milosavljevic, Sadi, Unal, Rees-Dottin, Gonzalez
Next Match: Qarabag (H) – Champions League – Wednesday, January 28, 8pm (GMT)