Liverpool breeze past Bournemouth to go five points clear

Updated: Jan 21, 2024, 02:47 pm

Liverpool moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 demolition of Bournemouth that extended their unbeaten league run to 14 games on Sunday.

The visitors were frustrated in a cagey first half of few goal-scoring chances but found a higher gear after the break with Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota both scoring twice.

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Núñez made it 1-0 in the 49th minute after a slick passing move carved up Bournemouth's defence and the influential Jota put the game out of reach of the hosts with two clinical finishes in the 70th and 79th minutes.

Uruguay international Núñez put the seal on a dominant Liverpool display with his second goal in stoppage time.

Darwin Núñez found the breakthrough for Liverpool with a neat finish early in the second-half.
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Liverpool have 48 points from 21 games with champions Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa all on 43 points. However, City do have a game in hand of Jurgen Klopp's side.

Bournemouth are in 12th place with 25 points.

Justin Kluivert was involved in the main first-half action, getting away with a heavy tackle on Luis Díaz and then almost creating a goal for the hosts.

Liverpool switched Núñez to a more central role after the break and it soon paid dividends. Curtis Jones laid off a long pass to Jota who then picked out Núñez with a first-time pass and the finish was never in doubt.

Jota made it 2-0 when he was picked out by Cody Gakpo and the Portugual international struck again with another cool finish after miss-kicking his initial shot after being set up by Premier League debutant Conor Bradley who got his chance in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Joe Gomez provided the assist for Núñez's volleyed second goal in stoppage time, which made him the first player to 10 goals and 10 assists for a Premier League club in all competitions this season.