Liverpool moved within five points of the Premier League's top five with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds, who also boast a game in hand over most of their rivals, got the job done with first-half goals through Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge.
Joshua King's strike in added time gave the hosts just a glimmer of hope, but there was too little time to truly trouble a Liverpool side who have now lost just two of their last 14 games in all competitions.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Bournemouth and Liverpool at the vitality Stadium. The Reds travel south on a real high following their incredible comeback win over Borussia Dortmund three days ago, keeping their season alive on two fronts heading into the final stretch of the campaign.
A top-five finish is still very much on the cards for Jurgen Klopp's men, who can climb one spot to seventh in the table with a two-goal win on the South Coast this afternoon. The Cherries will be eyeing a top-half finish of their own, meanwhile, having eased any fears of relegation over the past month thanks to a run of four wins in their last six outings.
TEAM NEWS!
BOURNEMOUTH XI: Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, Gosling, Surman, Stanislas, Gradel, King
LIVERPOOL XI: Ward, Randall, Toure, Lucas, Smith, Allen, Stewart, Ibe, Ojo, Firmino, Sturridge
Starting with the hosts, then, and manager Eddie Howe has made just the one change to his side for this home clash. Junior Stanislas is recalled to the starting lineup for the first time in two months, having overcome an injury sustained in the meeting with Watford. Lewis Grabban is the man to make way in that solitary alteration from the 2-1 win over Aston Villa eight days ago.
Callum Wilson, who has scored five goals from just eight attempts on target this season, is still not quite fit enough to join the starting lineup. The Englishman suffered a cruel injury last year which has ruled him out for the majority of the campaign, but he was given a few minutes at Villa Park last weekend and will likely play some part in this one from the substitutes' bench.
Benik Afobe is out with a similar hamstring injury to the one suffered by Stanislas recently, meaning that he once more misses out on the squad altogether. Adam Smith and Harry Arter are also absent due to a lack of fitness, but Bournemouth can call upon Josh King and Max Gradel among their attacking talents, with the former taking his tally to six for the season last time out against Villa.
In terms of the visiting side, Jurgen Klopp has unsurprisingly made mass changes to his starting lineup by almost completely overhauling the group that saw off Dortmund a few days ago. Incredibly, Roberto Firmino is the only survivor from that truly remarkable 4-3 win, meaning a total of 10 changes for the Reds for this trip to a sun-soaked South Coast.
The headline news comes in goal, where Wales international Danny Ward is handed his senior debut for the club. The youngster was recalled from his loan spell in Scotland earlier in the season, where has has since provided back-up for Simon Mignolet, but he will be given a chance to shine this afternoon is how own right. Connor Randall, Brad Smith, Sheyi Ojo and Kevin Stewart are also among the starters.
James Milner, who has been involved in 14 Premier League goals this season - scoring five and setting up a further nine; his best return for six seasons - is among those to provide cover from the bench. Sturridge is one of the more experienced heads in the Liverpool side, starting a fourth league game in succession for the first time in two years - that is largely down to Divock Origi being preferred for the double-header with Dortmund.
BENCH WATCH!
BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Federici, Wiggins, MacDonald, O'Kane, Pugh, Grabban, Wilson
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Mignolet, Milner, Coutinho, Sakho, Lallana, Origi, Flanagan
Joe Allen is one of 10 new faces brought into the Liverpool starting lineup this afternoon. The Welshman will have a big part to play over the coming weeks in the absence of Emre Can and Jordan Henderson in the engine room, while his countryman Danny Ward is also given the nod in goal for his senior bow. Less changes for Bournemouth, on the other hand, as Junior Stanislas replaces Lewis Grabban in the only alteration from last time out.
So Bournemouth have a good chance to close in on an unlikely top-half finish in the Premier League with a win this afternoon, following what has been a superb maiden campaign at this level to date. Four wins in their last six has given the Cherries plenty of room to breath, but there is of course a risk of their season petering out a tad with little left to play for on the face of it.
That said, six of the starters in this side were part of Bournemouth's team in the third tier of English football just a few years back, and each of them will be desperate to continue making an impression ahead of what will be a massive summer for the club. Eddie Howe will likely bring in some more new faces, while at the same time trying to find the balance that has seen the Cherries boast a great team spirit, which will of course be easier said than done.
A win for the Cherries today will take them above FA Cup semi-final duo Watford and Everton into 11th place and right on the heels of fallen champions Chelsea who occupy a place in the top half. Three wins on the spin in early March helped lift Bournemouth away from the drop zone and into their current mid-table sitting, although heavy defeats to Tottenham and Man City either side of the international break would have hurt Howe.
The impressive English manager said as much, in fact, claiming earlier this week that those two defeats - in which seven goals were shipped - left him feeling disappointed. The task now is to bridge the gap a little further on the so called elite in the division, building on their victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this season that remains one of the highlights of this miraculous season. That 2-1 win in the Midlands last weekend has put Howe's men back on the right track, though, and the top half is now very much in sight.
DID YOU KNOW? Bournemouth have lost four of their last seven home league matches, and have suffered seven defeats at the Vitality Stadium overall - the fourth-lowest tally in the division heading into this weekend's matches. Only Everton and Aston Villa have shipped more goals on home soil, too, so improving their form on the South Coast is certainly something to work on heading into next season.
The gap on the relegation zone now stands at 11 points following a big afternoon at the bottom yesterday, incidentally - surely too much of a margin for Bournemouth to be dragged into any sort of battle in the final games of the season. Instead, it is the four-point gap on Chelsea that they will be looking to make up, although you can add another point to that due to the Cherries' weak goal difference. With the Blues to come next Saturday, before games against Everton, West Brom and Man United, anything can happen.
Bournemouth are looking to make a real impact in their maiden top-flight campaign, then, which is very much the story at Anfield where another newcomer at this level is winning many admirers. Jurgen Klopp took charge of Liverpool in October amid plenty of fanfare, and he has only strengthened his popularity over the past few weeks with some impressive form both at home and in Europe.
The Reds have lost just one of their last seven league matches, albeit against Southampton in a hugely frustrating manner as they let slip a two-goal lead in the second half on the South Coast. Twenty goals have been scored during that run, too, with their current form reading four wins and two draws from seven outings. In fact, ever since losing narrowly to Man City in the League Cup final, things have only improved under the eccentric German boss.
That is not to say that things have been completely perfect under Klopp - sitting eighth in the Premier League with a group of this quality is pretty much par for the course - but it is the excitement that he brings which has left many supporters feeling very hopeful for the future. The never-say-die spirit was there to see in that remarkable win over Dortmund on Thursday evening, as Liverpool somehow overcome the Europa League favourites despite needing three goals in the second half.
Taking the Reds' form in all competitions into consideration, it is now just two defeats in 13 overall - one of which came after penalties against Man City at Wembley. Following that crushing loss, the Reds put together a positive run of three-successive wins - including a convincing 3-0 triumph over the Citizens a few days on from the League Cup final - before that incredible collapse against Southampton prior to the international break.
Liverpool have since drawn with Spurs and comfortable dispatched Stoke City last time out, meaning that they can overtake Southampton into seventh place with a victory by a two-goal margin this afternoon. The Reds have three games in hand over the Saints, in fact, so even a defeat today would not be too disastrous, although if they want a top-five finish then they must begin to close the eight-point gap on rivals Man United.
Liverpool are still battling on two fronts heading into the final weeks of the season, aiming to taste success in the Europa League in Jurgen Klopp's first season in charge while also securing a top-five finish in the Premier League. Champions League football will be guaranteed next term should they go all the way in Europe's secondary competition this time around, with that very much their main target following Thursday's dramatic victory over Dortmund.
Villarreal are the team now standing between Liverpool and a place in the Europa League final, with Shakhtar Donetsk and Sevilla the potential opponents should they make it that far. The Dortmund win could act as a further catalyst to push on under Klopp, but at the same time it would no doubt have taken an awful lot out of the Reds' squad following what has been a gruelling campaign thus far. In the league, two home games over the next week - against Everton and Newcastle - could set up a grand slam finish.
Liverpool have four more league matches to come at Anfield between now and the season's end, and you have to say their remaining fixtures are very favourable. The major problem is going to be finding the legs to get over the line, however, as they have won just two of eight matches this season following directly on from a European match. One of those did come just last week, mind, as Stoke fell 4-1 at Anfield in a largely one-sided affair.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Liverpool have never actually lost a competitive game against Bournemouth, winning six and drawing two of their previous eight matches. During that run the Cherries have scored just four goals, and never more than one in a single game. The Reds have seen off today's opponents twice already this season at Anfield, claiming 1-0 wins in the league and League Cup - Klopp's first victory as manager in October.
With less than 10 minutes to go now until kickoff at the Vitality Stadium, let us check out some of the pre-match thoughts from both camps heading into this Premier League showdown.
Eddie Howe: "They are a strong side and he is imprinting his ideas on them, you can see that with the way they press and work. We will anticipate a hard-working and full of energy Liverpool team. You can't predict them too much, we have to focus on what we are going to do. We weren't happy with how we played against Tottenham and Manchester City and want to do better, especially against the top sides."
Jurgen Klopp: "I've had a lot of games in my life and not too many like this. Being involved in something like that is always beneficial. You can keep it and take it. We used the story of Istanbul and maybe the next generation of Liverpool players will use this game: '3-1 down and then 4-2 down, no problem, our grandfathers showed us that it is possible'. That will be nice."
A lot of the pre-match talk has centred around Liverpool's Europa League heroics - understandably so when taking into consideration just how unlikely progression seemed at one point. Klopp is hoping that the 5-4 aggregate win can inspire his side onto greater things during his time in charge of the club, starting with a positive end to his maiden campaign at Anfield.
PREDICTION! Ten changes for the visitors suggests that they will head to the South Coast on a level pegging with their opponents, but there is still plenty of quality in this Liverpool side. Not least up top, where Roberto Firmino - the only survivor from last time out - partners Daniel Sturridge in attack. With those two on the pitch goals can be expected, and the Reds also boast the fourth best away record in the division this term with seven wins and three draws from their 16 games to date. I'll go with a 2-0 away win.
A wonderful tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster prior to the match at the Vitality Stadium. We are now just moments away from kickoff on the South Coast in the spring sunshine.
KICKOFF! We are officially underway in the first ever league meeting between these two sides at Bournemouth. A visiting Liverpool side showing 10 changes from last time out looking to make a positive early start at the Vitality Stadium.
SAVE! A sloppy Surman pass is latched on to by a lively Sturridge, who took on the shot first time but could not get the better of Boruc down low. Maybe could have taken another chance there to settle himself inside the box - big early chance!
Home supporters urging their side on following a slow start for the Cherries. Liverpool the side on top and perhaps should have a goal to show for their early efforts through that Sturridge strike a couple of minutes ago.
Some more slack play from Bournemouth allows Sturridge to pounce for a second time, but he is stopped in his tracks by Cook when weaving towards the box. The Cherries get forward quickly and earn themselves a first corner of the match.
A smart corner from the hosts, as the ball is played right back to Francis in a deep position for the full-back to swing one in towards Cook. The defender got his head to the ball, too, although he was unable to keep it on target where debutant Ward watched it sail over.
Firmino is quickest to pounce on a loose ball 25 yards out, but can only blast the ball high over the bar. The Brazilian is the only survivor from Thursday night, remember, so both he and Sturridge will need to set an example for some of the younger players in this experimental side.
Bournemouth have had the better of things over the past five minutes or so, without really causing any problems for their opponents in the final third. Good pressing from Liverpool to harry the hosts, which Klopp will no doubt be delighted with.
Matt Ritchie blasts away the Cherries' first shot of the match, cutting in from the right and rather dragging his attempt wide of Ward's goal. Liverpool not really had any sort of rhythm to their game following what had been a bright start to the contest.
A rare attacking move for Liverpool ends with Firmino dinking the ball into a central position for Boruc to easily collect. A balanced match on the face of it, but Bournemouth certainly the more composed for a good part of 10 minutes now.
SAVE! Not the greatest of games so far, in truth, but Bournemouth were given a good chance to open the scoring when Lucas brought down King 30 yards from goal. The Cherries got the ball into the box against a Liverpool side vulnerable from set-piece situations, and Elphick flicked it on into the grateful hands of Ward.
Sturridge caught offside when he really should have been holding his run a little better. One attempt on goal apiece now, with Bournemouth in the ascendency as we enter the second quarter of this South Coast showdown.
Klopp picked up his first win as Liverpool manager in the League Cup tie against Bournemouth in October, but his side have struggled to truly get going in this latest meeting. Very balanced on the face of it, with just a couple of shots on target combined so far.
SHOT! Ojo shows us what he is capable of for the first time today, creating some space in the box before seeing his shot blocked away in front of goal. It was deflected as far as Randall, who himself had his initial effort blocked away before forcing Boruc into a routine stop.
SAVE! Sturridge gets a little fortunate when a ball from Allen somehow ends in his path despite a poor first touch. Cook wrapped his foot around the ball in an attempt to clear but only hit it against Sturridge's legs which forced Boruc into a smart save.
Liverpool the side now on top, then, having fired away a few shots on goal. Eddie Howe will be happy enough with what he has seen so far, but testing rookie keeper Ward is surely a priority for the remaining hour of this so-far goalless affair.
Plenty of closing down from the visitors, largely thanks to the 10 changes made by Klopp. No clear-cut chances of note for either side yet, but Liverpool edging things in terms of shots on target with three in all so far.
Not a great sign for the home side as Matt Ritchie is down receiving some treatment at the moment. The midfielder has missed just one game all season and has proved to be vital in the Cherries' impressive maiden campaign at this level.
The game is just going through another one of its quiet spells at the moment; neither side really doing much attacking work in what is looking increasingly like being a goalless opening 45 minutes at the Vitality Stadium.
Too many sloppy passes on the whole in this first half on the South Coast. One of these teams just needs to get a grip on proceedings and put together some momentum - easier said than done, of course.
King puts real pressure on Smith to scuff his clearance. Plenty of closing down from both sides, but you would expect Liverpool to beat their opponents in that regard over the full 90 minutes thanks a fresh-looking side.
Ward does well to pluck a cross out of the air and quickly clear to put his side back on the front foot. The Welshman has had next to nothing to do so far on his senior debut, making just one save that was straight at him via Elphick's header.
GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-1 LIVERPOOL (ROBERTO FIRMINO)
Liverpool take the lead at the Vitality Stadium through their only survivor from last time out. Firmino's eighth goal in 10 league outings was arguably the easiest of the lot - a simple tap-in from a few yards out after Sturridge's superb back-heeled attempt was well kept out by Boruc.
Smith is in a bad way at the moment after taking a shot right in the face. Liverpool likely to be one man down for the rest of this first half, with just seconds left to go before the whistle is blown by referee Mike Jones.
Sturridge has had four or five attempts in this first half, the latest of which is sliced well wide of the target. He did claim an assist of sorts for Firmino's breakthrough goal, though, with a fine back-heel attempt that Boruc did so well to keep out.
GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 0-2 LIVERPOOL (DANIEL STURRIDGE)
Sturridge doubles the Reds' lead right at the end of the first half, simply rising highest to head home Ibe's free kick from the left in the easiest of manners. Bournemouth with a mountain to climb in the second half.
HALF TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 0-2 LIVERPOOL
So plenty for the home side to do in the second half, then, as they concede twice late on in the opening 45 minutes to head into the break 2-0 down. Liverpool have been the better side overall, but a two-goal advantage at this midway stage does flatter them a little.
Sturridge was almost on the scoresheet just a couple of minutes in, as he pounced on a sloppy ball at the back to test Boruc early on with a first-time shot. The Cherries' first - and only - on-target attempt of the half arrived 20 minutes in when Elphick's glanced header ended in the hands of debut keeper Danny Ward.
Liverpool stepped things up in the second quarter of the match, first coming close when Ojo and Randall had shots blocked away, before a deflected shot off the legs of Sturridge again forced Boruc into a smart save from close range. The Englishman was involved again soon after, with his back-heeled shot being parried into the path of Firmino to tap in. Sturridge added the second himself late on when heading home from Ibe's well-delivered free kick.
BENCH WATCH!
BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Federici, Wiggins, MacDonald, O'Kane, Pugh, Grabban, Wilson
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Mignolet, Milner, Coutinho, Sakho, Lallana, Origi, Flanagan
Daniel Sturridge has been the game's key man at this midway stage, scoring one and setting up a second for Roberto Firmino. Both sets of players are now out on the field of play for the second half.
RESTART! We are back underway at the Vitality Stadium, where there is news of one half-time change to bring you. Lewis Grabban is one for Junior Stanislas to partner King in attack. Liverpool let a two-goal lead slip the last time they were in this neck of the woods, remember, so not over just yet.
CHANCE! A shaky start to the half for Boruc, who concedes a corner which he fails to collect. That allowed Firmino a shot at goal from 10 yards out, but he sent his attempt wide of the target.
Liverpool looking the better side since the restart which is a little surprising considering the hosts are chasing two goals. Smith does well to get in behind down the left, but the ball just left play before he could get a cross into the centre of the box.
OFF THE POST! So unlucky from Sturridge, as he is played through by Allen only for his delicate chip to come back off the post. A good attempt but he should have been scoring from that one-on-one position, in truth.
So Liverpool wasting a couple of decent chances to put this game out of their opponents' reach early in this second half. One goal for the hosts will change the complexion of the game completely, but it does not look like arriving anytime soon.
Ibe cuts inside well but can only fire his shot high over the bar. Bournemouth fans urge their players on following a very slow start to this second half, and the are rewarded when a throw-in is won high up the pitch.
BOURNEMOUTH SUB! Marc Pugh brought off the bench for the seventh game in succession. Max Gradel is the man to make way following a rather ineffective showing from the winger. Can the new man make a difference?
Liverpool get a tad fortunate when a deflection lands nicely for Ward to collect down low. The Cherries have improved over the last five minutes or so, but need to do far more to truly trouble their opponents who are looking comfortable at the back.
Bournemouth want a penalty when the ball comes back off the arm of Toure inside the box. Would have been extremely harsh had Mike Jones pointed to the spot, though, so you have to say the official got that call right on the face of it.
SAVE! Bournemouth's best chance of the half, and pretty much the game, falls the way of King. The striker was fed in by Pugh, but saw his low shot parried by Ward before Smith could clear to safety. Much better from the hosts.
LIVERPOOL SUB! Klopp makes his first change of the afternoon, introducing Sakho for the injured Kolo Toure in the heart of defence. Plenty of other options on the bench, but the German is a little reluctant to change things too much at the moment.
CHANCE! Another chance for King to pull one back for his side and make things interesting for the remainder, but he fails to get the better of Ward. The Englishman was through on goal at a tight angle, with his chipped attempt being clawed away by the Liverpool keeper.
So all Bournemouth at the moment then, with Liverpool having to do plenty of defending; Pugh and King looking particularly dangerous over the past 10 minutes or so. Now would surely be a good time for Klopp to introduce someone like Milner in midfield to help settle things down slightly.
Liverpool's players celebrate after going 2-0 up at the end of the first half at the Vitality Stadium. The Reds were in control for the opening 20 minutes of this second period, but it has been all Bournemouth since then.
LIVERPOOL SUB! Roberto Firmino makes way for the final 15 minutes, giving Divock Origi a chance to link up with Daniel Sturridge in attack. Bournemouth looking as though they will make a second sub shortly, too - their last of the afternoon.
BOURNEMOUTH SUB! Callum Wilson makes his home return after seven months out through injury. Five goals before picking up a cruel injury, remember, so he will be keen to make an impact after replacing the injured Ritchie.
LIVERPOOL SUB! Final change of the afternoon made by Klopp, bringing on Adam Lallana for Ibe. The young winger pulled up with cramp a few minutes ago, so the Reds maybe forced into this alteration slightly.
SAVE! A rare save for Ward to make, as he gets down to his left to keep out Wilson's deflected effort. Almost a dream return to action on home soil for the Englishman, who has five goals from nine shots on target now this season.
SAVE! Not seen a great deal from Liverpool since Sturridge wasted a good chance early into the second half, but Bournemouth just appear to be running out of ideas at the other end of the field. At least that appeared to be the case until Ward got across brilliantly to push aside King's free header.
OFF THE POST! Sturridge denied by the frame of the goal for the second time today, as his well-struck shot hit the joint of post and crossbar to give the Cherries a let-off of sorts. The hosts have six minutes to find a route back into the game.
Bournemouth have a third penalty appeal of the afternoon turned down, but up the other end Sturridge really should have settled the match when getting the better of two defenders only to send his shot over the bar. It should not matter too much.
Just a case of the visitors staying professional in these closing stages to get the job done. They will move up to seventh place as things stand, above Southampton on goal difference and now just five off Manchester United in fifth with a game in hand still to play.
Origi's shot deflects wide of the target to give Liverpool another corner. Four minutes of added time to come on the South Coast, so still a chance for Bournemouth to pull at least one back.
Good work by Ojo and Lallana, with the latter pulling the ball across goal for Origi only for it to be well cut out a few yards from goal. Still two minutes left to play at the Vitality Stadium.
GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 1-2 LIVERPOOL (JOSHUA KING)
A fine strike from King on the half-volley, finally getting the better of Ward, has given the Cherries a lifeline right at the very death. They have around 60 seconds to earn the most unlikeliest of points!
FULL TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 1-2 LIVERPOOL
The full-time whistle is blown at the Vitality Stadium, ensuring that Liverpool maintain their impressive run of form with another victory. That late goal conceded means that they stay in eighth place, however, by virtue of their weaker goal difference compared to Southampton one place above them.
Bournemouth will have to wait another week to make certain of their top-flight status, meanwhile, but Eddie Howe will surely be planning for another season of Premier League football next term despite today's defeat. Well that concludes our live text coverage from the South Coast, but stick around for plenty of reaction over the next hour or so.
