Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool: Mohamed Salah makes it 20 for the season as Philippe Coutinho, Dejan Lovren and Roberto Firmino also strike to pick off the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium

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As he fished the fourth out of his net, Asmir Begovic must have been fighting flashbacks and wishing he had politely declined the chance to voice an opinion on Liverpool's shambolic defending.

'I don't think they have the pride it takes to be a defender,' said Bournemouth goalkeeper Begovic, back in October, as he analysed Jurgen Klopp's team in the aftermath of a thrashing by Tottenham.

He criticised 'communication', 'positioning', 'desire' and 'organisation' before adding: 'They don't look organised, they don't look like they want to defend. I don't think their first thought is defending.'

Roberto Firmino kept Liverpool on the offensive and glanced home Philippe Coutinho's cross to make it 4-0 to Liverpool

The hard-working Brazilian celebrated in front of the travelling Kop, arms aloft after getting himself among the goals

Jermain Defoe collects the ball following Firmino's goal and heads back for kick-off along with a dejected Junior Stanislas

Adam Lallana made a late appearance as a substitute, back in the first team after suffering with a prolonged injury lay-off

Moments earlier Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain powered his way into the Bournemouth box and lashed an effort against the post

After cutting inside from the byline Mohamed Salah turns outside Nathan Ake and curls into the far corner for the third goal

After losing his balance upon making the shot, Salah watched on through the bodies as his effort fired goalwards

The Egyptian wheeled away to celebrate yet another goal in what is turning out to be an incredible debut season for the Reds

With his strike Salah became the first Liverpool player to get 20 goals in a season before Christmas since Ian Rush in 1986-87

Here at least Begovic was spot on. Liverpool's first thought is to attack and score goals. Their second and third thoughts are very much the same.

Defending comes way down the list and there will be days against very good teams when they will be punished.

Yet this commitment to thrill is their most admirable characteristic. Very much like Bournemouth, in fact.

MATCH FACTS, LIVE TABLE AND MATCHZONE 

Bournemouth (4-4-1-1): Begovic 5; Smith 5, Francis 5, Ake 5, Daniels 4 (Cook S 56min 5); Ibe 4, Cook L 5, Surman 6, Pugh 4 (Fraser 45min 5); King 5 (Stanislas 31min 5); Defoe 5.5

Subs not used: Boruc, Gosling, Arter, Afobe.

Booked: Ake

Manager: Eddie Howe 5

Liverpool (4-3-3): Mignolet 6; Gomez 6, Lovren 6.5, Klavan 6, Robertson 6; Henderson 6.5, Wijnaldum 6.5, Oxlade-Chamberlain 6.5; Coutinho 8.5 (Ings 87min), Firmino 7 (Solanke 75), Salah 8 (Lallana 71min 5).

Subs not used: Karius, Milner, Mane, Alexander-Arnold

Booked: Lallana

Goals: Coutinho 19, Lovren 26, Salah 44, Firmino 66

Manager: Jurgen Klopp 6

Referee: Andre Marriner 6 (West Midlands)

Attendance: 10,780

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A well-worked run of passes led to Philippe Coutinho scoring Liverpool's opener. Click here for more from Matchzone

 

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At Wembley, in October, Liverpool were a mess but they have responded by not losing in a dozen games since and, at the same time, have been a delight to watch, scoring 37.

By the Dorset coast, they tore their hosts to shreds and left them in such disarray that their determination to apply minds to the difficult task of defending could easily have been questioned.

Liverpool struck early with a sublime goal from Philippe Coutinho and raced into a three-goal lead by half-time thanks to Dejan Lovren and Mohamed Salah.

Moments earlier Salah had spurned an opportunity in which he volleyed straight at goalkeeper Asmir Begovic one-on-one

Earlier, Dejan Lovren had bravely thrown himself to meet Roberto Firmino's cut-back to score a diving header

Firmino acted quickly to salvage a corner and keep the ball in play, picking out Lovren with a cross back over his head

The often criticised Croatian beamed a huge smile of delight after putting his side 2-0 up at the Vitality Stadium

Lovren was mobbed by his Liverpool team-mates after putting his body on the line and bagging the diving header

Salah became the first Liverpool player to reach the milestone of 20 goals before Christmas since Ian Rush in 1986.

Roberto Firmino added the fourth and Klopp's team coasted through the second-half. All without Sadio Mane who was an unused substitute.

Having spluttered against the packed ranks of Everton and West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool thrived against the free-spirited football of Eddie Howe's team and might easily have scored more.

Rio-born Coutinho in particular enjoyed his trip to the English seaside, curling a free-kick against the inside of a post before embarking on the mazy dribble which created his goal.

Exchanging passes on the left with wing-back Andy Robertson, the Brazilian jinked inside, shimmied effortlessly past flimsy challenges from Simon Francis and Lewis Cook and produced a low finish.

It was a 10th Liverpool goal of the season for Coutinho, the outstanding player on display with a performance sure to have repercussions in Barcelona as the transfer market prepares to reopen.

Six minutes later and the lead was doubled by Lovren who applied the final touch to set-piece which should make interesting viewing when Howe tees it up in the video analysis suite.

Georginio Wijnaldum's near-post flick sent Coutinho's corner looping beyond the back-post.

Philippe Coutinho had broken the deadlock in the tie on 19 minutes, picking out the bottom corner after a dazzling run

Coutinho cut his effort inside the Bournemouth defenders and accurate, low placement to open the scoring for the Reds

The Brazilian maestro celebrates with Georginio Wijnaldum as his effort ripples up into the top of the Bournemouth netting

After celebrating with his team-mates Coutinho was all smiles, another Liverpool goal added to his growing tally

Bournemouth players claimed the ball was out of play but replays proved Firmino had kept it in as he hooked it back across goal.

Lovren was first to react, diving to head in his first goal of the season. How the centre-half must have enjoyed beating 'keeper Begovic.

Last December, Liverpool led by two at the Vitality Stadium and still managed to lose.

This time, there was no collapse, although nerves might have been tested if Jermain Defoe had reduced the deficit to 2-1 when clean through on goal.

Defoe seemed to do everything right, luring Simon Mignolet and beating the goalkeeper only to see his effort strike the foot of a post, spin across the face of goal and out to safety.

Ever so briefly, Liverpool's vulnerabilities were back in evidence. Stanislas miscued when well placed in front of goal but the visitors stretched further ahead before the interval. But the normal pattern was quickly resumed.

Begovic thwarted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Salah, but the Egyptian is relentless and unperturbed by those efforts saved or narrowly off target, he simply picks up the ball and goes again.

Jurgen Klopp roars in satisfaction after seeing his side make a positive start in the clash and getting the goals to match

It's back to the drawing board for Eddie Howe, whose team are without a win in six and face Chelsea next in the Carabao Cup

He bamboozled Charlie Daniels with twists, turns and changes of pace for 54 minutes until the left-back succumbed to a groin injury.

For his goal, Salah dashed into the penalty area, side-stepped Daniels and Nathan Ake and guided a left-foot shot inside the far post before Andrew Surman could close him down.

Howe sent on Ryan Fraser, architect of the remarkable comeback last year, but this time the task was beyond them.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain thumped a post and the fourth goal was claimed by Firmino, who was a fraction offside as his glancing header beat Begovic from a cross by Coutinho.

There was no flag, the goal was allowed and Liverpool coasted home. Klopp sent on Adam Lallana, who was booked before he touched the ball, Dominic Solanke and Danny Ings, who almost found the net with his first touch.

Four goals and three points keep Liverpool in the top four ahead of their trip to Arsenal on Friday.

Bournemouth are without a win in six games and firmly locked in a relegation scrap as they prepare to face Chelsea in a Carabao Cup quarter-final and then Manchester City.