Runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool resumed normal service with an unconvincing 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Bournemouth on Saturday but they had to recover from an early jolt at Anfield.
Goals in quick succession by Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane before halftime calmed the jitters after Callum Wilson had given Bournemouth a surprise ninth-minute lead.
It was far from vintage Liverpool, however, and they struggled to finish off a Bournemouth side who almost grabbed a late equaliser through Wilson.
After Liverpool’s 44-match unbeaten league run ended in shocking fashion at Watford last week, victory restored their 25-point lead over Manchester City who have two games in hand.
Three defeats in their last four matches in all competitions had given Liverpool a reality check, even if only serial pessimists among their fans truly believed they might blow their first title for 30 years.
It is still a matter of when, not if, Juergen Klopp’s men seal the deal and Saturday’s win, their 22nd in succession at home in the Premier League, restored their 25-point lead. Three more wins and they will be crowned champions.
They want to finish in style, though, and that was missing initially against a Bournemouth side who are scrapping for their top-flight survival. “We have said before, confidence is not something that you get, put in your pocket and keep for the rest of your life. It comes and goes,” Klopp said of his team who will try to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Atletico Madrid next week to keep alive their hopes of retaining the Champions League.
Alexandre Lacazette celebrates his goal after a video review with teammates during the Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and West Ham in London on Saturday (AP)
Arsenal stay unbeaten
A goal from substitute Alexandre Lacazette earned Arsenal a hard-fought 1-0 win over a wasteful West Ham United side at the Emirates on Saturday, extending the Gunners’ unbeaten Premier League run to eight matches and boosting their top-four hopes.
Both sides struck the woodwork in the first half but the visitors had the better chances and goalkeeper Bernd Leno came to Arsenal’s rescue with an excellent save from Michail Antonio after the break.
