LIVERPOOL SQUANDERED THE opportunity to go back to within a point of Premier League leaders Chelsea this afternoon.
Despite leading 3-1 entering the 76th minute against Bournemouth, Jurgen Klopp’s side saw their 15-game undefeated run come to an end following a dramatic finish at the Vitality Stadium.
After Ryan Fraser pulled a goal back for the hosts with 14 minutes of normal time remaining, Steve Cook fired in an equaliser three minutes later before Nathan Ake scored the winner in the third minute of additional time.
The win was Bournemouth’s first against Liverpool and it moves them into the top half of the table. The Reds remain in third, four points off Chelsea and one behind Arsenal.
Liverpool dominated the first half, with goalkeeper Loris Karius little more than a spectator. The opening goal was inevitable and it came in the 20th minute when Sadio Mane latched onto a delightful pass from Emre Can before poking the ball past Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
The visitors doubled their advantage two minutes later, with Divock Origi making amends having missed a glorious opportunity early on. After Harry Arter coughed up possession for Bournemouth, Jordan Henderson released Origi down the right.
Boruc unwisely rushed out to close the Belgian striker down, but Origi beat him to the ball before applying a superb finish to an empty net from a tight angle.
Bournemouth introduced Ryan Fraser for the injured Junior Stanilsas in the 55th minute and the young Scotsman went on to change the game and earn himself the man-of-the match award. He made his mark less than a minute after entering the game.
As Liverpool struggled at the back in the absence of the injured Joel Matip — Lucas Leiva partnered Dejan Lovren at the heart of the defence — Fraser went down in the box under a James Milner challenge. Callum Wilson sent Karius the wrong way with the resultant penalty kick.
Emre Can restored Liverpool’s two-goal advantage eight minutes later with a sublime strike from just outside the box after good work down the right by Mane. That looked likely to be enough to seal the win for the visitors, but Bournemouth – led by the energetic Fraser — had other ideas.
Fraser drove the ball beyond Karius from just inside the box in the 76th minute, Cook equalised in the 79th after brilliantly controlling Fraser’s cross from the right, and substitute Benik Afobe almost put Bournemouth ahead a minute later but he was denied by Karius.
Both sides went in search of a winner but it went the way of the hosts in the third of five additional minutes. Cook’s long-range shot was spilled by Karius and Ake was on hand to win it for Bournemouth.
