Liverpool has finally come out of its cocoon and put on a show that echoed across the entire European continent. After last week’s loss to Manchester United, the Reds were under immense pressure to deliver and they came out roaring with the support of a raging Anfield.
The Reds announced their candidacy for the Premier League title with a thumping 9-0 victory over Bournemouth, who was extremely unfortunate for receiving a humiliation that the Reds reserved for United last week but failed to hand it to them.
It was only the fourth time in the league’s history that any team scored nine goals. One can only imagine the pep talk that Jurgen Klopp must have given to his players after a poor start to the season.
Indeed, injuries to Thiago Alcântara, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, and Joel Matip have plagued the intensity of Liverpool’s game but it has given a fair chance to the likes of Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson to prove that their tank is not empty yet.
And that’s exactly what transpired in the 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth. Firmino, Luis Diaz, Virgil van Dijk, Harvey Elliott, Trent Alexander Arnold, and the news signing Fabio Carvalho all found their way to the scoresheet but their talismanic forward, the usual suspect, Mohamed Salah who could have etched his name in history completely misfired.
The Egyptian who looked in wonderful touch during the first 15 minutes of the game slowly and unknowingly fell out of it. With every touch that Salah took, the crowd would jump at its feet, but the culmination of it all was disappointing.
Given his quality, Salah missed a sure goal early in the game and failed to tap in a low cross later, much to the dismay of his manager.
Anyone who missed the game and saw the scoreline later in the day would have automatically assumed to see a Salah special in this win. However, the truth was bitter for these people to digest and it was even more bitter for fans of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) who made Salah their captain for the week.
There was pain, agony, and shock for the FPL managers as to why the Egyptian King couldn’t deliver on a day when all his peers were enjoying a fruitful day under the sun. Although Salah boasted a smile on his face after the game, he must have kicked himself for missing out on a golden opportunity.
Similarly, it was a tremendous loss for the FPL managers by believing in Salah to score against a lowly ranked Bournemouth, but that’s the risk with fantasy football — when it’s not your day, it’s truly not your day.
However, the FPL managers didn’t hold back and showcased their anger at Liverpool’s number 11 in some un-orderly fashion on Twitter.
If you captained Salah, you have to own it. This wasn’t bad luck, this was always a real possibility. You knew the risk, you went with the crowd, and you were punished.
