Liverpool continued their winning start to the Premier League season by beating Bournemouth 1-0 this evening.
The Cherries thought that they had taken the lead in the fifth minute, but Tommy Elphick's header was ruled out for a foul on Dejan Lovren.
Christian Benteke then gave Liverpool the lead with a close-range finish from Jordan Henderson's cross, but Philippe Coutinho appeared to be offside and interfering with play.
Bournemouth pushed for an equaliser in the second half and they came close to scoring when Matt Ritchie fired against the post.
Benteke had the chance to make the game safe in the final minute when he struck the bar, but it mattered little as the Reds held on to claim all three points.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at Anfield.
Match statistics
LIVERPOOL
Shots: 18
On target: 2
Possession: 55%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 11
BOURNEMOUTH
Shots: 13
On target: 2
Possession: 45%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 18
Was the result fair?
The final result was harsh on the visitors, who will feel that they did enough to earn at least a point. They started the game brightly and it looked as if they had taken the lead when Elphick headed in from a corner, before his effort was ruled out for a tug on Lovren.
There was another contentious call made by the officials when Benteke gave Liverpool the lead. Coutinho was offside in the build-up to the goal and he appeared to be interfering with play, by trying to reach Henderson's cross, which was eventually touched in by his Belgian teammate. They will rue those decisions, but Liverpool looked more threatening for large spells of the match and they had the quality needed to see the match out and win their second league clash of the new season.
Liverpool's performance
The Reds did not get off to the best start and they were fortunate to not concede early on. However, they gradually began to take control, and by the time Benteke found the net, they were well on top. They then missed further chances to double their tally before the break, with Henderson firing over and Coutinho rolling the ball wide when well placed.
The game followed the same pattern after the break, as they allowed Bournemouth time and space on the ball and gave the ball away cheaply. The substitution of Henderson didn't help and they struggled to retain possession. In the end, they did just enough to see the game out and claim the three points, but they will need to produce a better display when they meet top-four rivals Arsenal next week.
Bournemouth's performance
Bournemouth showed no fear in their first-ever Premier League match away from home and the atmosphere at Anfield proved to be an inspiration to their players. They took the game to their opponents in the early stages and forced a number of corners, with one of those leading to the disallowed goal.
The Cherries also came close to scoring when Ritchie fired a drive against the post in the second half. However, despite their close calls, they struggled to seriously test the Liverpool defence for large spells and were caught out by their opponents on a number of occasions. They have also conceded two goals from set pieces in their opening matches, and it is an area that Eddie Howe will be keen to improve upon.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Matt Ritchie: Despite ending up on the losing side, the Scottish international was the pick of the players this evening. He was always confident in possession and looked to test his luck on goal at every chance. His powerful strike against the post was another highlight in a fine all-round display.
Biggest gaffe
There were only four shots on goal between each team this evening, which sums up the lack of quality in front of goal. It was Liverpool who were the most wasteful, as Coutinho placed a shot wide from inside the box just before half time, while Benteke hit the bar from close range at the end of the second period, when it seemed easier to find the net.
Referee performance
Craig Pawson will make the headlines for all the wrong reasons after his display at Anfield. The referee harshly ruled out Elpick's goal, before wrongly allowing Liverpool's to stand. He also gave a number of late bookings, in a game that was not played with any malicious intent from either side.
What next?
Liverpool: The Reds will take on title rivals Arsenal at the Emirates next Monday.
Bournemouth: Howe will be hoping that his team can pick up their first win of the season when they travel to West Ham United on Saturday.
Alex Meyers
