AMINE ADLI scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Liverpool’s season continues to stutter.
Arne Slot said everything is looking up at the club after their 3-0 win in the Champions League against Marseille.
But after taking one foot forward Liverpool took two massive steps back on the Bournemouth coast.
It looked like Dominik Szoboszlai had rescued a point with a leveller 10 minutes from time after they fought back from 2-0 down.
But Hill’s long throw was not cleared and Adli forced the ball home.
Van Dijk had been a walking liability as Bournemouth swept into a 2-0 lead inside 33 minutes.
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The Dutchman failed to control the ball as he intercepted a long ball forward by Marcos Senesi.
Alex Scott cashed in, taking the ball to the byline before cutting a pass back for Evanilson to fire a 26th-minute opener.
And he failed to kick the ball off the pitch as Slot was trying to bring on Wataru Endo for the injured Joe Gomez.
The ball was turned over and James Hill played a peach of a pass to cut open the Liverpool defence.
And with Van Dijk playing him on-side, Alex Jimenez timed his run to get in behind and slot the ball through the advancing Alisson.
But the Dutchman thundered a flicked header at the near post from a Dominic Szoboszlai corner to claw Liverpool back into the game just before the break.
And then Szoboszlai thumped home from a short free-kick from Mo Salah to set up a grandstand finish.
But Adli dealt the dagger blow to spark wild scenes.
Liverpool fans had been complaining that Slot’s football has been boring.
This certainly was not boring here — but was too open with the game resembling a basketball match.
Liverpool made only one change from their 3-0 Champions League win over Marseille. Cody Gakpo came in for Huge Ekitike.
Salah returned straight to the starting line-up on Wednesday after the African Cup of Nations with Egypt despite his public fallout with boss Arne Slot.
And this was his first Prem start since Liverpool’s 3-0 humiliation at the hands of Nottingham Forest at the end of November.
But the Reds had been unbeaten in the Prem since then but had drawn six of their last 10.
The Kop turned against Slot last Saturday by booing him after the 1-1 draw with struggling Burnley.
However, the convincing win on Wednesday night changed the mood music somewhat.
And this game provided a great opportunity to get some points on the road with the Cherries only chalking one Prem win from their last 13, losing six of them.
Andoni Irola only made one change too— bringing in Adam Smith for Marcus Tavernier.
Gusty wind and rain swept across the Vitality, meaning this was a game to get all the basic rights in challenging conditions.
Salah has scored 12 goals in his last 13 Prem games against Bournemouth.
And he had his eye open for another when Adrien Truffert slipped as he tried to challenge him on the right.
But after playing a quick give-and-go with Florian Wirtz, the Egyptian star curled an effort over the bar.
Amine Adli powered forward before firing a shot over from 20 yards.
But the Cherries were gifted their opener by a Van Dijk clanger.
Marcos Senesi played a long ball forward into the box.
The Dutch defender was unable to deal with it and scuffed it.
Alex Scott pounced on the loose ball, taking it to the byline before cutting it back for Evanilson to fire home.
It was the Brazilian’s fifth goal of the season — and fourth in his last nine games.
And incredibly the Cherries doubled their lead seven minutes later.
James Hill played a peach of a pass to split open the Liverpool defence.
Alex Jimenez timed his run to perfection to get on to the ball ahead of Alisson Becker
Evanilson was brimming with confidence and went on a powerful solo run but Ryan Gravenberch got in a vital challenge on the edge of the box.
Wirtz was not too far away when he fired a shot from 20 yards that whistled just wide with Gakpo inches wide from getting a touch to turn the ball in too.
Salah half volleyed a tame angled effort after a nice Gakpo lob over the Cherries defence.
But Van Dijk pulled one back just before the break.
Hill had needlessly nodded a harmless ball away for a corner when he did not need to.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross for the corner was perfect for Van Dijk to power home a header
Slot hauled off former Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez at the break to replace him with Andy Robertson.
Endo slotted a nice pass for Gakpo to run on to but Djorde Petrovic was quick off his line to snub out the danger.
Slot only waited 14 more minutes to bring on Hugo Ekitike and Curtis Jones for Alexis Mac Allister and Jeremie Frimpong.
Liverpool won a succession of corners but all were comfortably plucked out of the air by Petrovic — completely unchallenged.
Cook was unhappy after he found space on the right to cross but Evanilson and Adli failed to attack it.
Gakpo trudged off to make way for 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha.
Ngumoha won a free kick with 10 minutes left to set up the free kick for Szoboszlai to fire home.
But Alisson made a world-class fingertip stop to keep out a Ryan Christie 25-yard blast
The Liverpool keeper then did just enough to put Evanilson under pressure after he ran on to a Christie pass but shot wide.
But in the blink of an eye Wirtz was denied by a brilliant stop from Petrovic — before the late Adli show.
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