Liverpool equals Premier League record in 9-0 win over Bournemouth

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool equaled the biggest win in English Premier League history after a 9-0 hammering of promoted Bournemouth on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side started the campaign slowly, with surprise draws against Fulham and Crystal Palace compounded by Monday’s loss at rival Manchester United. But Liverpool’s fearsome attack looked back to its best at Anfield as the team recorded its first league win and Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz both grabbed two goals.

It’s only the fifth time a team scored nine goals in the league, with Man United (twice) and Leicester the only previous teams to win 9-0.

Firmino, starting in place of suspended summer signing Darwin Nunez, produced a stunning first-half display, which began with Diaz heading home his clipped cross within three minutes of the kickoff.

Firmino then provided the assist for Harvey Elliott’s first league goal — a fizzing strike from distance that would have been goal of the day were it not for the Trent Alexander-Arnold stunner that followed.

The Brazil forward set up that goal and celebrated one of his own soon after when turning in a deflected cross -- his first league goal at Anfield since December 2020.

Virgil van Dijk powered home Liverpool’s fifth on the stroke of halftime, while the onslaught continued just after the break in the form of Chris Mepham’s own-goal.

RESULTS: Liverpool 9 (Diaz 3, 85; Elliott 6, Alexander-Arnold 28, Firmino 31, 62; van Dijk 45, Mepham 46 – og, Carvalho 80) bt Bournemouth 0; Southampton 0 lost to Manchester United 1 (Fernandes 55); Chelsea 2 (Sterling 47, 63) bt Leicester City 1 (Barnes 66); Manchester City 4 (Silva 53, Haaland 62, 70, 81) bt Crystal Palace 2 (Stones 4 –og, Andersen 21)