Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.
After making their best start to a top-flight campaign in history, Liverpool find themselves in second place in the Premier League. They trail leaders Manchester City by two points, but could briefly go top before the champions take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this evening.
After snapping a four-game losing streak with a victory in their last game, can Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth claim another win at Vitality Stadium?
Kick-off for the game is at 12.30pm.
The teams are in:
🚨 Team news time 🚨
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 8, 2018
How the Reds line-up against @afcbournemouth...#BOULIV https://t.co/JTTF3OGr9T
🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) December 8, 2018
Here it is! Our team to face @LFC in the @premierleague at Vitality Stadium.
🔘 Surman and Stanislas start
🔘 Wilson out injured
🔘 Pugh returns to bench
Listen live 📻: https://t.co/DOYLcT7l9Z #afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/lUinDeUc2v
Who do you fancy to come out on top on this one?
.@RyanFraser94 averages a PL goal involvement every 1️⃣1️⃣6️⃣ mins this season
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 8, 2018
⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️
🅰️🅰️🅰️🅰️🅰️🅰️🅰️
His 7️⃣ assists is already a record in a single @premierleague season for Bournemouth #BOULIV pic.twitter.com/fYvvZ1vCRE
And we’re underway!
James Milner is making his 500th appearance for Liverpool and he’s lined out at right back for the visitors today. Both sides are building slowly from the back in a low-key start to this one.
Liverpool have started with quite an offensive team with Shaqiri in a centre-midfield and Naby Keita employed in an advanced midfield role. Salah and Firmino are both playing up front.
Milner attempts a ball in behind the Bournemouth defence but it trails off harmlessly wide. At the far end a flick from Ryan Fraser causes a moment of tension in the Liverpool defence but it’s collected by Alisson.
Liverpool win a free just outside the box after a handball by Nathan Ake on an attempted through ball by Firmino into Salah.
Shaqiri and Milner line-up for the free, with the former hitting it off the wall and out for a corner. Nothing comes of it as Bournemouth clear Milner’s corner.
BOURNEMOUTH 0-0 LIVERPOOL
Jefferson Lerma is the second home player to pick up a yellow, this one arriving for a late challenge on Fabinho.
Salah sets up Fabinho for a strike that’s blocked for a throw-in.
Bournemouth attack and Josh King pulls a dangerous ball across the Liverpool area, but there’s no-one to attack it at the back post.
Better from Bournemouth. Junior Stanislas sends through David Brooks who forces a good save from Alisson.
From the corner, it’s cleared to Andrew Surman on the edge of the area but his strike goes wide.
BOURNEMOUTH 0-1 LIVERPOOL (SALAH 25)
Mo Salah gives Liverpool the lead after 25 minutes. Firmino’s shot from the edge of the area is too hot for Begovic to handle and Salah arrives on the scene to poke home the rebound.
GOAL!! GET IN REDS! Bobby's shot from distance saved but Mo is quickest to react and slots home from close-range. 🙌
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 8, 2018
[0-1]#BOULIV pic.twitter.com/vXXURuWJ1G
Here’s a look Salah’s goal. Was there a hint of offside?
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 8, 2018
Firmino hits one from range and Begovic parries it straight into the path of Mo Salah.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League or follow here: https://t.co/gCPPirCr0K pic.twitter.com/Im7mpzfoUP
Bournemouth claim three corners in the space of a few minutes. Ake connects with the second one at the far post but his shot goes straight wide.
Liverpool keeper Alisson has the highest save percentage in the league so far this season with 85%.
Alisson is forced to head a ball clear from his penalty box after a mishit Milner clearance from the flank. Josh King takes the force of the keeper’s body as he leaps for the header and comes crashing to the ground. He eventually resumes play.
We’ll have two minutes of added time.
HALF-TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 0-1 LIVERPOOL
The second period has resumed.
BOURNEMOUTH 0-2 LIVERPOOL (SALAH 48)
A hammer blow to the home side as Mo Salah doubles his tally and the Liverpool lead. He capitalises on a through ball by Firmino and runs in a fine solo goal. He’s beginning to rediscover the form he showed last season.
DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR SALAH
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 8, 2018
Firmino puts Salah one on one with Nathan Ake, and it's Salah who comes out on top before slotting it into the bottom corner.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League or follow here: https://t.co/gCPPirCr0K pic.twitter.com/MYrGnJ5nEj
Half chance for Josh King after a low delivery from Charlie Daniels, but Alisson cleans it up.
Steve Cook receives some attention after receiving a heavy challenge on the ankle from Salah. Jefferson Lerma sees a shot blocked by Naby Keita soon after.
Salah has a sniff of another goal chance after a delightful dunk over the top from Shaqiri. The Egytpian volleys well over from 12 yards out. He has plenty of time to seal the hat-trick yet.
In the top 5 European Leagues, only @TeamMessi has scored more league goals than @MoSalah since the start of last season
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 8, 2018
4️⃣3️⃣ Lionel Messi
4️⃣1️⃣ Mo Salah
3️⃣9️⃣ Harry Kane
⚽️⚽️ It is his 1st brace in an away game since Nov 2017 v Stoke pic.twitter.com/Aw2botqabF
CHANCE FOR BOURNEMOUTH
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 8, 2018
Josh King beats Alisson to Ryan Fraser's teasing cross but he can't steer it in. The Bournemouth players appeal for a penalty.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League or follow here: https://t.co/gCPPirCr0K pic.twitter.com/ddIHvK96pU
Double change for Liverpool. Shaqiri is replaced by Mane and Adam Lallana comes on for Keita.
Lys Moussett comes on as a sub for Brooks on the Bournemouth team.
BOURNEMOUTH 0-3 LIVERPOOL (COOK OG 68)
Good industry by Stanlislas wins a corner for Bournemouth, but Liverpool clear and counter-attack straight away. Salah picks up the ball on the right and it gets switched to the left where Robertson whips a ball across the goal.
Defender Steve Cook throws a leg at it and manages to turn it into his own net. Liverpool are coasting now.
The two-goal hero Mo Salah.
Stanlislas goes close for Bournemouth with a free kick that Alisson does well to save.
BOURNEMOUTH 0-4 LIVERPOOL (SALAH 77)
He’s a special player, Mo Salah. The Egyptian completes his hat-trick with a stunning goal that required incredible close control and patience as he weaved around Bournemouth keeper Begovic and calmly poked the ball into the net.
3 - Mohamed Salah is the first Liverpool player to score an away hat-trick in the Premier League since Luis Suarez v Cardiff in March 2014. Clinical. #BOULIV
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 8, 2018
Lallana sustains a cut to the head after an accidental collision with Lerma. He leaves the field of play to get treatment.
⚽️⚽️⚽️ @MoSalah scores his 2nd @LFC hat-trick 👏👏👏
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 8, 2018
1st Liverpool player to score an away @premierleague hat-trick since @LuisSuarez9 v Cardiff in March 2014
He has now scored 5️⃣ goals in 3️⃣ apps v Bournemouth #BOULIV pic.twitter.com/ttdADYUUqt
There will be five minutes of stoppage time…
FULL-TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 0-4 LIVERPOOL
So Salah takes home the match ball after the second hat-trick of his Liverpool career. The 4-0 win takes them to the summit of the Premier League table, one clear of Man City who play later today. Bournemouth stay in seventh, if Liverpool had have scored one more goal, Man United would have moved above the Cherries into seventh.
That’s all from us, thanks for joining.