Jota and Nunez shine for Liverpool in the absence of Salah. There are no issues for the team.

Rewritten: The Premier League leaders, Liverpool, extended their lead by five points with a dominant 4-0 win against Bournemouth, with goals from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota in the second half.

The Reds, led by Jurgen Klopp, had difficulty generating scoring opportunities at the Vitality Stadium without their leading scorer, Mohamed Salah.

However, Nunez scored the first goal of the second period and also scored again during added time after Jota’s two quick goals.

Liverpool extended their unbeaten streak to 14 Premier League matches with a win on a rainy afternoon on the south coast. They took advantage of Manchester City’s weekend break, who currently sit in second place.

Bournemouth were in good form and played well for most of the fast-paced match, but they didn’t pose much of a threat and ended up losing for only the second time in nine games.

Andoni Iraola’s team faced challenges in their recent game, but it could have been even worse if Justin Kluivert had not received a red card for a potentially dangerous tackle on Luis Diaz in the first half.

Liverpool returned to playing in the highest division for the first time since January 1st, but did so without their star player Salah, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Reds struggled to establish a smooth rhythm at the start of the match, while Bournemouth had a stronger start, although they did not pose a threat to Alisson.

Klopp’s team gradually improved their performance and were able to maintain possession for a significant amount of time.

Alexis Mac Allister missed the target from far away, while attempts from Nunez and Diaz from a far distance were easily caught by Cherries’ goalkeeper Neto.

Bournemouth, who had not played a league game for three weeks, were relieved in the 35th minute when Kluivert did not receive a penalty for his high, studs-up tackle on Diaz.

In the 39th minute, Ryan Christie finally made an attempt at goal for the hosts. However, it was a weak shot that went straight to Alisson. He also missed the chance to score from Kluivert’s low cross just before halftime.

After a forgettable first half with few scoring opportunities, Liverpool took advantage of poor defending to take the lead just four minutes into the second half.

Ibrahima Konate’s cross-field ball was chested down by the unmarked Curtis Jones and then moved on to Jota, whose first-time pass was confidently slotted into the bottom right corner by Nunez.

Nunez, who was unfavorably likened to ex-Liverpool forward Andy Carroll by boastful supporters in the initial period, was also a part of his team’s second goal in the 70th minute.

The strong Uruguay striker created difficulties for Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham, giving Reds substitute Cody Gakpo the opportunity to take advantage of the loose ball and pass to Jota who scored by hitting the base of the right post.

Jota dashed any chances of a comeback by the Cherries after only nine minutes.

The Portuguese striker missed his initial shot after receiving a pass from Premier League newcomer Conor Bradley, but quickly shut down sarcastic applause by powerfully shooting into the bottom left corner.

Bournemouth’s David Brooks missed a valuable opportunity to score a consolation goal when he failed to convert in the 90th minute.

Nunez, who scored the winning goal when the teams played in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at the beginning of November, added insult to injury for Bournemouth by scoring his second goal with a great close-range shot in the final minutes of added time.

Source: independent.co.uk