Life in the Premier League is unforgiving, wrote Brendan Rodgers in his programme notes. Two matches into the experience and Eddie Howe knows exactly what he means after a goal that never was and a goal that should never have stood condemned Bournemouth to a second successive defeat. Liverpool were relieved beneficiaries.
Christian Benteke marked his Anfield debut with a winning goal that will massage his confidence and that of a Liverpool team understandably lacking fluidity, with four new faces in the starting line-up and a recently acquired, powerful centre-forward to integrate into the side. But his close-range conversion from Jordan Henderson’s inviting cross should have been disallowed with Philippe Coutinho clearly infringing every aspect of the latest offside rule.
The Brazilian is known as the “little magician” in these parts and his disappearing act in the eyes of the referee, Craig Pawson, and his assistants proved the defining moment. Bournemouth’s captain, Tommy Elphick, also had a goal harshly ruled out during a vibrant start from the visitors.
Argument over Pawson’s two crucial decisions flowed back and forth but all that matters to Rodgers at the start of a crucial season in his Anfield tenure is a 100% record matched only by the two Manchester clubs and Leicester City. Two goals, two clean sheets and two victories suggest a Liverpool side that is both economical and efficient. Dominance of the ball and a genuine goal threat, Rodgers insists, will arrive in time.
The encouragement for Bournemouth, by contrast, was laced with frustration. Howe headed on to the pitch to shake hands with all the match officials after the final whistle, went to have a word and thought better of it. The Bournemouthmanager went for the more diplomatic option and applauded the travelling support from the south coast instead. They had seen evidence of the big calls favouring the big clubs at first hand.
John W Henry and Tom Werner, Liverpool’s principal owner and chairman respectively, were at Anfield to check on the redevelopment of the colossal £114m main stand and Rodgers’ more expensively assembled team. It would not have taken them long to realise both remain a work in progress as Liverpool initially struggled to match Bournemouth’s vibrancy and accuracy on the ball, before improving in time for their contentious winner.
Rodgers picked the same side and bench as opened the season at Stoke City last weekend, which meant summer signing Roberto Firmino biding his time among the substitutes again and no place in the match-day squad for Lucas Leiva or Mamadou Sakho. The Brazilian midfielder and France international defender, who could both exit before the close of the transfer window, were to be found sat with fellow outcasts Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique in the back row of the directors box. They would have noted the murmurs prompted by Liverpool’s display inside ten minutes.
Howe refused to be over-critical of his side’s Premier League debut last weekend,a home defeat by Aston Villa, and had fewer complaints here. Max Gradel and Matt Ritchie offered energy and invention down either flank while Callum Wilson’s movement and strength proved a constant distraction to Dejan Lovren.
Bournemouth thought they had the lead after five minutes when Elphick climbed above Lovren and headed Ritchie’s corner beyond the suspect grasp of Simon Mignolet. Their celebrations were curtailed when Pawson decided the central defender had leaned on the Croatia international as the pair closed in on the corner.
Liverpool had begun to stifle the visitors’ counter-attacks and offer more invention, inevitably through Coutinho, when the breakthrough arrived.
Henderson caught out the Bournemouth defence with a corner played back to Nathaniel Clyne, then swept the full-back’s return pass into the box with a right-footed, in-swinging delivery. Bournemouth held their defensive line and caught Coutinho in their offside trap. Liverpool’s No10 attempted to connect but missed the ball by a fraction and, with Artur Boruc stranded, Benteke arrived from an onside position to convert at the back post.
In terms of intent, proximity to the ball and impact on an opponent, Liverpool’s No10 was offside under the new interpretation of the rule but, to Bournemouth’s dismay, the £32.5m striker’s goal stood.
Benteke hit the Bournemouth bar in stoppage time, Coutinho wasted a fine chance moments before the interval and had a goal-bound drive superbly blocked by Charlie Daniels but the visitors, and the powerful left foot of Ritchie in particular, proved a constant test for Liverpool. Only the final whistle and Pawson’s decision-making brought Anfield respite.
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