Liverpool Stars Seemingly Disregard Arne Slot’s Instructions in Dramatic 3-2 Defeat to Bournemouth
Liverpool surrendered another two points in the Premier League on Saturday as Bournemouth snatched a dramatic late winner at the Vitality Stadium. Amine Adli struck in stoppage time to seal a 3-2 victory for Andoni Iraola’s side, ending the Reds’ 13-game unbeaten run. In the aftermath, footage emerged that appeared to show Liverpool players ignoring repeated instructions from head coach Arne Slot during a chaotic spell that proved decisive.
Bournemouth took the lead in the 26th minute when a mix-up involving Virgil van Dijk allowed Alex Scott to tee up Evanilson for the opener. The home side doubled their advantage seven minutes later through Alex Jimenez, before Van Dijk atoned somewhat by heading in just before half-time to pull one back.
Liverpool then drew level via a cleverly worked free-kick, with Mohamed Salah rolling the ball into the path of Dominik Szoboszlai, who curled a low effort around the wall and past Djordje Petrovic to make it 2-2. However, the visitors’ hopes were dashed in the 95th minute when Adli reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and poked home the winner.
The controversy centred on a period when Liverpool were effectively down to ten men after Joe Gomez picked up an injury. With Gomez limping off and Wataru Endo ready to come on, Slot repeatedly urged his players—particularly Alisson—to kick the ball out of play so the substitution could be made. Instead, Liverpool continued playing, delaying the change for over four minutes. During that spell, Bournemouth exploited the numerical advantage and scored their second goal.
Jamie Redknapp was critical of Liverpool’s handling of the situation during his post-match analysis on Sky Sports, questioning the lack of urgency. He argued that getting Endo onto the pitch should have been the priority, rather than relaying detailed instructions. Cameras also caught Slot animatedly gesturing for Alisson to put the ball out from a goal kick—advice that went unheeded. Redknapp described the episode as “amateurish,” insisting Liverpool had multiple chances to stop play and reset.
Analysing the goal itself, Redknapp suggested Van Dijk should have stepped up instead of dropping off, especially with Ryan Gravenberch temporarily filling in at centre-back while Gomez was off the pitch. Ultimately, he felt Liverpool had contributed to their own downfall by failing to manage the situation.
Van Dijk, however, defended the team’s decisions after the match. Reflecting on Bournemouth’s opener, he pointed to the windy conditions, saying the ball was difficult to judge. He also claimed Liverpool were largely in control, even with ten men. On the decision not to kick the ball out, the Dutch defender explained that the team chose to keep possession, acknowledging that it backfired. “It’s a split-second decision,” he said. “Unfortunately for us, we conceded.”
The defeat means rivals Manchester United could leapfrog Liverpool with a win over Arsenal, while pressure continues to mount on Slot as fixtures pile up. With Qarabag, Newcastle United and Manchester City all due to visit Anfield soon, Liverpool will be eager to put a painful afternoon on the south coast firmly behind them.