A calamitous Virgil van Dijk error and a stoppage-time winner condemned Liverpool to a 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth, extending their winless Premier League run in 2026 and exposing growing frustrations with team selection and squad depth.
by Nij Martin
Liverpool’s hopes of extending their unbeaten run to 14 games were brutally dismantled at the Vitality Stadium, as a 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth laid bare the team’s persistent struggles and ignited fresh debate over Arne Slot’s decisions. Despite a midweek 3-0 victory over Marseille fostering optimism, familiar issues resurfaced; Slot has often “bemoaned having to face a low block,” and Bournemouth’s defensive setup again proved problematic. The match turned on a critical “ridiculous mistake” by captain Virgil van Dijk, which led to Bournemouth’s opener and, as one fan commented, “changed the game today and set us up for defeat.” Though Van Dijk atoned with a goal before halftime and Dominik Szoboszlai leveled late with a spectacular free-kick, a 94th-minute winner handed Liverpool a crushing loss, leaving them without a Premier League victory in 2026.
The aftermath has sparked intense scrutiny beyond the result. Slot’s persistent selection of Cody Gakpo, which negatively impacts the balance of the frontline, is causing consternation, with fears it will complicate Alexander Isak’s integration and even risk marginalizing Mohamed Salah. While Salah’s starting role in the last two games signals he is staying put this month, the broader squad composition is under fire. With Slot indicating no January signings are expected, the bench against Bournemouth—featuring two goalkeepers and multiple youngsters—highlighted a worrying lack of depth. As pundit Jamie Carragher noted, the squad’s imbalance is glaring, a point painfully reinforced by a defeat that fans labeled “just not good enough” and which has intensified the pressure on the team’s direction.