Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points following their comfortable 4-0 victory over Vitality Stadium on Sunday.
If the Reds want to win the title, their star player will have to go with Egypt to the Africa Cup of Nations.
But Jota and Nunez came through to help get a very important win at home against one of the best teams in the Premier League.
Bournemouth had only lost one of their last nine games, which put them well above the relegation zone.
The Cherries were kept at bay by Jurgen Klopp’s team in the first half, though. After the break, they turned up the style.
“It was obvious we needed to change something. We did and it worked much better,” said Klopp on the turnaround in his side’s display between the first and second half.
“Everything was better, we put them really under pressure and we scored some beautiful goals, Impact from the bench again as well so it turned into a pretty good evening.”
The visitors could only get pot shots in the first half, which didn’t give them any clear chances.
That said, Liverpool scored a great goal in the 49th minute to break the tie.
After Jota’s first-time pass, Nunez was free to shoot. The Uruguayan player showed the poise that he hasn’t always had at Liverpool so far by putting the ball in the far corner.
And 20 minutes from the end, substitute Cody Gakpo set up Jota to score at the near post. The game was over.
Jota was even luckier with his second goal. The Portuguese player missed the first shot from Conor Bradley’s cross, but the ball came up for a second chance, which he took and drilled low and hard across Neto.
“We have world-class players and when we have them it’s easier,” said Jota. “But we are Liverpool so when we don’t have them we still have a good team.
“We can replace them and share the cost of the game between us to keep going.”
Nunez hadn’t scored in 16 Liverpool games since early November, when he scored the game-winning goal against Bournemouth in the League Cup.
At the end of the game, he slid in perfectly to meet Joe Gomez’s cross and finish off a great afternoon for Liverpool. He was feeling confident after scoring earlier in the half.
“We started doing things that we weren’t doing in the first half and were probably doing things too quickly. It made us worse,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
“We started leaving more spaces in the middle and weren’t as tight or aggressive. Liverpool doesn’t lose their intensity. If you don’t match them, it’s difficult.”
Liverpool is two points ahead of Manchester City in the title race, but City has a game in hand over their rivals.
But Klopp’s team fell to fifth place last year after a bad season, and there is no doubt that they are once again the biggest threat to City’s top spot.
Photo by EPA/VINCE MIGNOTT
