Liverpool moved nine points clear at the top of the Premier League as Mohamed Salah’s double saw off a battling Bournemouth at a noisy Vitality Stadium.
Salah is now on 178 league goals, lifting him to sixth on the list in the Premier League era, ahead of Frank Lampard on 177.
The Egyptian put the Reds ahead with a well-taken 30th-minute penalty, awarded after Lewis Cook was judged to have clipped the heels of Cody Gakpo.
Bournemouth had already gained wins over Arsenal, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest this season and had almost taken the lead against the Reds when it was goalless, only for Antoine Semenyo’s shot to bounce off the left post.
Semenyo then had a great chance to equalise early in the second half, only for Alisson to make an excellent save with his legs to keep out the well-struck effort.
The chances kept coming for the hosts and substitute Marcus Tavernier hit the inside of the post, with Justin Kluivert wastefully shooting the rebound over the bar.
That failure to equalise proved critical as Salah, whose contract expires at the end of the season, sealed the three points with a magnificent curled effort to make it 2-0.
Liverpool are now on 56 points from 23 matches, although Arsenal will cut the gap back to six points if they win at home against Manchester City on Sunday
