Liverpool signed off for the international break with a hugely important three points as Alexander Isak’s second-half goal secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
It was far from Liverpool’s best performance.
In fact, for long periods, the Reds looked like the team that had played on Thursday night rather than Bournemouth, who had European action in midweek.
But ultimately, none of that matters now.
Liverpool found a way to win.
And after three draws in their opening four Premier League games, Andoni Iraola desperately needed his side to take all three points back to Merseyside.
A slow start from Liverpool
The first half was a frustrating watch for Liverpool supporters.
The Reds struggled to keep possession and found it difficult to create any real rhythm in the final third.
Bournemouth looked the more energetic side and came closest to breaking the deadlock when Evanilson produced an 18th-minute flick that forced Alisson into an excellent save.
The Liverpool goalkeeper got down well at his near post and turned the effort behind for a corner.
It was exactly the kind of save Liverpool needed from their No.1.
At the other end, Florian Wirtz had a glorious opportunity from close range but fired over the crossbar.
Replays subsequently showed that the German had actually been onside despite the initial flag.
Bradley Barcola also went close, forcing Djordje Petrovic into a save with his legs, while Dominik Szoboszlai saw a dipping free-kick from around 25 yards drift narrowly wide.
But overall, Liverpool simply weren’t doing enough.
Isak comes up with the answer
The game finally changed in the 57th minute.
And once again, Alexander Isak was there when Liverpool needed him.
Cody Gakpo produced a determined run before getting the ball into the Bournemouth penalty area.
The Cherries failed to clear their lines and Isak reacted quickest, finishing from close range to put Liverpool ahead.
It was exactly the kind of goal Liverpool needed.
Not pretty.
Not spectacular.
But absolutely vital.
And it continues what has been an encouraging start to Isak’s Liverpool career in terms of finding the net.
The Swedish striker now has four Premier League goals this season, including the two-goal burst that secured victory at Ipswich earlier this month.
A special return for Iraola
There was also an extra layer to this victory for Iraola.
The Liverpool boss was returning to Bournemouth for the first time since leaving the club to take charge at Anfield.
The Spaniard had guided Bournemouth to European qualification before making the move to Liverpool, and he received a warm reception from the home supporters on his return.
But there was no room for sentiment once the game got underway.
Iraola needed a result.
And while his team didn’t produce the performance he would have wanted, they produced something arguably just as important at this stage of the season:
a win.
Liverpool had to find a way
There will certainly be questions about the performance.
Liverpool had more rest than Bournemouth coming into this game.
They had heavily rotated their team during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham.
Yet they looked sluggish for large parts of the afternoon.
That will need to improve.
But this is also where Liverpool supporters need to recognise the value of grinding out victories.
Not every game is going to be spectacular.
Not every performance will be dominant.
Sometimes you need your goalkeeper to make an important save, your striker to take one opportunity and your defence to hold firm.
That’s exactly what Liverpool did here.
Liverpool move up to sixth
The three points move Liverpool up to sixth place with nine points from their opening six Premier League games.
Bournemouth remain without a league victory this season and drop to 17th with three points from five matches.
For Liverpool, though, the league table matters less than the feeling of finally getting another three points.
Three draws from the first four matches had started to create frustration.
Today wasn’t pretty.
But Liverpool don’t need to apologise for winning ugly.
They needed three points — and they got them.
Now Iraola and his players can head into the international break knowing there is plenty to improve, but also with another victory on the board.
And perhaps most importantly, they have another reminder that when Liverpool’s performances aren’t at their best, they still have players capable of producing the decisive moment.
Today, that player was Alexander Isak.
And his goal was worth three points.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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