By LEWIS STEELE, FOOTBALL REPORTER
Published: 15:43 EST, 24 January 2026 | Updated: 15:53 EST, 24 January 2026
Liverpool are the Premier League’s answer to Bazball.
One minute, they are a joy to watch and look like a team ready to conquer the world and win trophies galore. The next, they are anything but and their performance makes one think another root-and-branch inquest is necessary.
For the unacquainted to Bazball – sorry to hear that if so – it refers to the current rendition of the English men’s cricket team and its brash style led by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
When it is good, it is really good. A thrill-ride that sparks thoughts over just how far this team can go. When it is bad, it is really bad and downright depressing.
The narrative around it seems to change almost every match, just like Arne Slot’s Jekyll and Hyde Liverpool, who flit between the excellent and embarrassing match by match.
One game, they are breezing through the tough away test of Marseille away and fans are plotting a route to the Champions League final in Budapest. The next, they are blown away by a boisterous Bournemouth in a zapping evening on the south coast.
A goal-mouth scramble led to Bournemouth scoring with the final kick of the game
Virgil van Dijk's complaints were ignored and Liverpool suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat
Arne Slot is seen screaming at his players from the touchline late in the game
Liverpool's players look dejected at full-time after conceding a last-gasp goal to lose
Just when you think they have turned a corner, and it certainly felt like that after the performance in the unwelcoming cauldron of Stade Velodrome, they wilt again and Slot’s critics jolt back into action.
Liverpool had spent an hour trying to force their way back into the contest here at a windswept, sodden Vitality Stadium but almost as soon as Dominik Szoboszlai had equalised, they retreated and allowed the Cherries to grow back into the match.
Iraola’s side came here with just one win this side of Halloween, a run stretching 14 games. But this is the type of victory that can end any talk of a slump and simultaneously halt any thoughts of a Liverpool resurgence.
They barely miss a beat in terms of recruitment here but fans have needed patience with some summer signings, certainly in terms of tangible returns. But both Amine Adli and Alex Jimenez scored their first goals for the club to add to Evanilson’s opener and help record a vital win.
Bournemouth were fearless, used the weather to their advantage and deserve a mountain of credit for how they raced into a two-goal lead but, more so, how they did not panic when that soon became 2-2.
After Liverpool’s equaliser, it was the Cherries that looked more likely to win. Where many teams would panic and invite more pressure, Bournemouth got back on the front foot and inflicted a third stoppage-time defeat of the season for Liverpool.
Maybe that says more about Slot’s team, though, who – to use the head coach’s words at full-time – run out of energy in the second half of matches.
‘It is safe to say a few players of ours ran out of energy,’ said Slot, who added that full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong both needed to be substituted due to being in the fitness ‘red zone’.
Amine Adli was the man to scramble the winner home in the dying seconds
Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring his free-kick to make the score 2-2
The Hungarian buried his second free-kick in the last week after his Marseille effort
Virgil van Dijk headed Liverpool back into the game just before the break
MATCH FACTS:
BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Petrovic 7.5; Smith 7, Hill 8.5, Senesi 8, Truffert 7.5; Scott 7.5, Cook 7; Jimenez 7 (Toth 85), Kroupi 7 (Christie 67, 6), Adli 7.5; Evanilson 8 (Unal 90+3).
Subs not used: Forster, Dacosta Gonzalez, Diakite, Milosavljevic, Rees-Dottin, Sadi.
Booked: Kroupi.
Scorers: Evanilson 26, Jimenez 33, Adli 90+4.
Manager: Andoni Iraola 8.
LIVERPOOL (4-2-4): Alisson 6.5; Frimpong 6 (Jones 46min, 6), Gomez 5 (Endo 35, 6), Van Dijk 5, Kerkez 5.5 (Robertson 46, 6); Gravenberch 6.5, Mac Allister 6 (Ekitike 59, 6); Salah 6, Szoboszlai 7, Wirtz 6.5, Gakpo 5 (Ngumoha 73, 6).
Subs not used: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Nyoni, Ramsay.
Booked: Gravenberch.
Scorers: Van Dijk 45, Szoboslzai 80.
Manager: Arne Slot 5.
Referee: Michael Salisbury 6.
Attendance: not provided.
He added: ‘I cannot criticise them for that because two days ago we played an away game in Europe.
‘Credit to (Bournemouth), they are top in almost every statistic when it comes to running. I have to credit my players, if you go 2-0 down the way we did and show the mentality and fitness to come back into the game.’
Seven minutes were all it took for any semblance of positivity to be eroded after the 3-0 win in Marseille had triggered belief this season could still be special.
Liverpool had started well, getting in behind the home defence, but were soon pegged back and found themselves two goals down. It is a familiar story for this team whose hard work is too often undone by conceding cheap goals.
The opening strike certainly falls into that category, as Van Dijk made a rare mistake to allow Alex Scott the space to tee up Evanilson for the finish.
It came from a long, searching ball from defender Marcos Senesi. As the wind and rain swept in from the nearby south coast, Van Dijk lost sight of the ball and misjudged an attempted clearance, allowing Scott to sneak in and square for Evanilson’s third goal in four games.
Joe Gomez was clattered by goalkeeper Alisson and needed to come off injured, adding to a fitness crisis as Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are both out for the season, Ibrahima Konate was away due to the passing of his father and Andy Robertson is in talks to join Tottenham.
Wataru Endo was ready to replace Gomez but the Japan captain, through no fault of his own, was waiting to come on for seven minutes. Slot and his assistants screamed at his team to kick the ball out of play to allow the substitution but they did not.
There is no promise Japan captain Endo would have solved their problems but 11 players on the pitch is certainly much more solid than 10 and defender James Hill soon exploited a gap in the Reds back-line to thread a pass to Alex Jimenez.
The AC Milan loanee calmly poked between Alisson’s legs for his first Bournemouth goal on his 21st appearance.
Alisson watches helplessly as the ball passes him into the net for Alex Jimenez's goal
Evanilson put Bournemouth ahead against the run of play and Alisson clattered Joe Gomez
Gomez came off the pitch and Liverpool were unable to get a sub on and conceded
They were made to work for any points as Van Dijk atoned for his earlier error to pull one back on the stroke of half-time, then Szoboszlai fired home a free-kick on 80 minutes after an uneventful second half passed by with little to note.
Iraola’s side, who had been passive for much of the game after the break, suddenly sprung back into life as Ryan Christie and Evanilson both called Alisson into action.
A quiet second half was now a distant memory as the game soon turned into a topsy-turvy basketball-like match, with Wirtz forcing a top save from Djordje Petrovic at the other end.
But it was Bournemouth who had the last say as a spinball situation in the Liverpool box ended as Morocco forward Adli poked home to record a famous win.
‘We play football for moments like this,’ said the match-winner. ‘The people are coming for this and to see all the happiness in everybody, is why we play football. It's a crazy moment.'