Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admitted his side were lucky as they ended Bournemouth’s 11-game unbeaten run to go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Mohamed Salah’s goals helped the leaders to a 2-0 win at the Vitality Stadium, the first time Andoni Iraola’s side had been defeated since November 23, but the game turned on a number of borderline decisions in the first half.
Cody Gakpo was judged to have been fractionally onside as he raced onto a long ball before being fouled in the box by Lewis Cook, with Liverpool perhaps fortunate to be awarded a penalty with replays suggesting Gakpo may have tripped himself up.
After Salah had converted from 12 yards, Bournemouth’s David Brooks was denied by an equally tight offside given against Milos Kerkez in the build-up to what would have been a fine equaliser.
“If you want to win here maybe you need a bit of luck because the margins are so small,” said Slot. “Our penalty was just not offside, their goal on 1-1 was on the margin offside, they hit the post twice.
“We had our chances as well but it was a close call for us to win this game.
“We weren’t unlucky, let’s put it that way.”
Bournemouth had already beaten three of the current top four at home this season and put up a real fight for the win that would have carried them into the Champions League places.
Antoine Semenyo hit the post at 0-0, Marcus Tavernier did the same as the hosts chased the game at a goal down whilst there was a wonderful save made by Allison also from Semenyo.
The game turned on the penalty decision just before the half-hour mark just as Bournemouth were looking the more likely side to break through.
“I haven’t seen it back but one of my players is on a clear one v one with the goalkeeper and he’s fallen down,” said Slot. “So either he makes a dive or they touch him. If they touch him that for me is a penalty.
“I can come up with three, four, five examples (this season) where we didn’t have the luck or the decision we deserved. That’s always the difficult thing in football, people will always say there’s that luck for Liverpool or for the one that is the one that is number one at the moment.
“This one is nothing to do with luck, it’s a clear one v one.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off injured in the second half with Slot admitting he would be surprised if the defender is fit for Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Tottenham.
Bournemouth boss Iraola reflected on a game lost by fine margins.
“We didn’t get the result obviously, but I think we gave us a chance,” he said. “I think we played a high-level game.
“I think the quality of the game has been quite high but against these top teams I think you need the small details to happen to your side sometimes
“We hit the post. We hit the post again. The goal, just millimetres disallowed.”
