Bournemouth provided a significant boost to their Premier League survival hopes and dented Liverpool's top-four aspirations with a 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium.
Philip Billing's first-half goal capped a committed performance from Gary O'Neil's men, though they were given a major helping hand when Mohamed Salah missed a second-half penalty.
Victory moved the hosts off the foot of the table and out of the relegation zone, while their opponents missed a chance to leapfrog Tottenham into fourth.
The Reds' showing came as a particular shock a week on from their 7-0 demolition of Manchester United and proved that there are plenty of twists and turns to come in the race for Champions League qualification.
Bournemouth vs Liverpool final score
| | 1H | 2H | Final |
| Bournemouth | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Liverpool | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals:
BOU — Billing — 28th min.
Liverpool's biggest problem exposed again
Liverpool had recently brought themselves back into the top-four conversation thanks to a five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
But it says everything that three of the four wins claimed during that sequence of results came while playing at Anfield.
Klopp's men have still won just three league away games all season, a woeful record extended by losing to the team propping up the division today.
The inconsistency of Tottenham and Newcastle United means their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are far from over, of course, but they will surely have to show some improvement on the road.
Reds' penalty jinx continues
Liverpool had somehow gone 33 Premier League games without winning a penalty prior to John Brooks pointing to the spot in the second half of this game.
That is a remarkable record for a team who spends so much time in the opposition box, though they were somewhat fortunate to get this one thanks to Adam Smith's flailing arm inadvertently meeting the ball.
However, that decision did not mark an end to the Reds' spot-kick pain, with Salah subsequently shanking uncharacteristically wide to let the hosts off the hook.
Perhaps the Egyptian was simply out of practice from the spot, but the wait for a successful Liverpool penalty is destined to go on.
Bournemouth back in the fight
Every time a new team has fallen to the bottom of the Premier League, there has been a temptation to suggest that their hopes of survival are over.
But in winning here, Bournemouth showed the folly of that thinking, and proved that there are plenty of teams above them who should be looking over their shoulders.
Now, just six points separate the club's new bottom team, Southampton, and Crystal Palace way up in 12th place.
No side between that pair should feel like they are safe from the threat of relegation this season.
Bournemouth vs. Liverpool as it happened, highlights
FINAL: Bournemouth 1-0 Liverpool
FULLTIME: The whistle sounds and the Vitality Stadium absolutely erupts. That's a huge three points for Bournemouth in their bid to stave off relegation.
90th min (+4): Gakpo lets a ball bounce over his shoulder and gets a powerful effort away, but it's just over the bar.
90th min: Five minutes to be added on.
87th min: A final roll of the dice for Liverpool, with Fabio Carvalho replacing Stefan Bajcetic.
80th min: Changes for Bournemouth as Fredericks, Cook and Semenyo replace Lerma, Smith and Solanke.
Can the Cherries see this out and claim a massive three points?
75th min: Solanke rolls Konate and the Frenchman can only bring him down to receive a deserved booking.
69th min: MISS! Mohamed Salah to take.... WELL WIDE!
What a let-off for Bournemouth, the Egyptian has absolutely shanked that one. It remains 1-0.
67th min: PENALTY! Jota heads a Milner cross goalward and it deflects off Smith before going behind for a corner.
The Liverpool players all immediately call for a penalty for handball and, after watching a replay, referee John Brooks agrees and points to the spot.
65th min: A triple change for the visitors, with Milner, Henderson and Firmino replacing Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Nunez.
60th min: Liverpool have had all of the ball since the half restarted but they haven't created any real problems for the Bournemouth backline.
The hosts, meanwhile, still look as dangerous as ever on the counter, even if it hasn't quite come off for them yet in this half.
51st min: Anthony goes in the book after cynically ending a Gakpo-led Liverpool break.
49th min: Jota wins in it an advanced position and drives goalward before trying to curl one into the far corner, but Neto is equal to the effort.
46th min: Liverpool make a change, with Diogo Jota coming in for Harvey Elliott.
And now Bournemouth get us back under way.
HALFTIME: The first half comes to an end at the Vitality Stadium and it's Bournemouth who take a 1-0 lead into the break.
45th min: Bournemouth want a penalty after Konate brings down an onrushing Billing but the referee isn't interested.
Replays show that VAR would have intervened there had the incident been inside the box but it was in fact just outside.
41st min: Liverpool should be level!
Robertson's inswinging free-kick delivery is met by Van Dijk and he somehow manages to nod the ball wide from close range when it looked easier to score.
39th min: Nunez tries to pick out Alexander-Arnold on the far side after receiving the ball on the left but instead punts it out for a goalkick.
After a good start to this game, Liverpool are struggling.
28th min: GOAL! Bournemouth open the scoring and, on the basis of the last 10 minutes, you have to say it's deserved!
Ouattara gets in behind the Liverpool defence far too easily before beating Van Dijk on the outside again and giving Billing the simplest of tap-ins.
26th min: Konate makes amends in heading away the subsequent set-piece delivery before Nunez does the same from the corner.
25th min: Konate lunges in on Billing as Bournemouth break and hands the hosts a free-kick in a very promising area 10 yards outside the box.
20th min: Bournemouth work it well through the Liverpool lines before Billing whips in a powerful cross from the left but Alisson does well to get down and collect it.
13th min: Liverpool have the ball in the back of the net through Gakpo but it's not going to count.
Nunez nods a crossfield ball back across goal for his Dutch teammate to volley in but, as spotted by the linesman, the scorer had strayed offside before finishing.
9th min: A huge chance goes begging for Bournemouth!
A sloppy pass from Alexander-Arnold gifts the ball to Solanke and results in him feeding Ouattara, but the winger closes the angle too much in rounding Alisson and can only find the side-netting.
6th min: Lerma clears one off the line!
The Bournemouth man does brilliantly to get up and nod away a powerful Van Dijk header that was on its way into the back of the net.
5th min: Nunez uses his strength to win the ball on the left before feeding Gakpo, who quickly sends the ball along to Salah just inside the box in a central position.
Unfortunately for the Liverpool forward, his first-time strike is a weak one and easily saved by Neto.
1st min: Liverpool get the game under way through Harvey Elliott.
15 mins from kickoff: Gary O'Neil gives his thoughts to BT Sport: "They’re in good form at the moment and have fantastic attacking threat. It’ll be a tough ask, of course, but we approach the game as one that we need to take three points from."
30 mins from kickoff: Klopp has explained his selection to BT Sport: "Hendo had a bit of a cold but other than that Stefan comes in, the rest the same.
"A massive change is not needed after playing last Sunday so we go again with the rest."
40 mins from kickoff: A huge day for David Brooks as he features in the Bournemouth squad for the first time in 525 days.
The Welshman was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021 but has beaten the disease and is ready for an emotional return to action today.
50 mins from kickoff: A big call from Klopp to go with two teenagers in midfield and leave captain Jordan Henderson on the bench.
O'Neil, meanwhile, will hope that former Liverpool target Lloyd Kelly can help shore up a defence that conceded three to Arsenal last weekend.
1 hr from kickoff: The team news is in!
1.5 hrs from kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Bournemouth vs. Liverpool. The visitors have the Champions League places in their sights after thrashing Manchester United last time out, but are up against a Cherries side who know they need to start picking up points as soon as possible if they are to stave off Premier League relegation.
Bournemouth vs Liverpool lineups
Lloyd Kelly and Jefferson Lerma return to the Bournemouth line-up as O'Neil shakes things up for the visit of Liverpool.
There is also a significant boost on the bench, where David Brooks makes his first appearance in the squad for 525 days after beating cancer.
Bournemouth starting XI (4-4-1-1): Neto (GK) — Smith, Senesi, Stephens, Kelly — Ouattara, Lerma, Billing, Anthony — Rothwell — Solanke
Subs: Travers (GK), Fredericks, Cook, Semenyo, Christie, Vina, Moore, Mepham, Brooks
Liverpool's injury picture is unchanged from their impressive victory over United, with Joe Gomez, Luis Diaz and Thiago Alcantara still sidelined.
But Klopp makes one change to his starting line-up, with Stefan Bajcetic taking the place of Jordan Henderson in central midfield.
Liverpool starting XI (4-3-3): Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson — Elliott, Fabinho, Bajcetic — Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
Subs: Adrian (GK), Tsimikas, Carvalho, Milner, Matip, Henderson, Jota, Firmino, Arthur.
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