Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Bournemouth deserved all three points in the Reds' 1-0 loss to the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium.
Travelling down south on the back of their 7-0 demolition job of Manchester United last weekend, Liverpool had the chance to rise into the top four of the Premier League table with victory over Gary O'Neil's basement battlers.
However, a toothless Liverpool side were stunted in a narrow defeat to Bournemouth, who needed just one strike through Philip Billing in the first half to rise out of the relegation zone.
Mohamed Salah was handed a golden ticket to restore parity for Liverpool with a second-half penalty, but the Egyptian blazed his spot kick wide after Adam Smith's handball.
Speaking to BT Sport after the defeat, Klopp admitted that the game was 'never really ours' and that Bournemouth were full value for all three points on the day.
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"What can I say? It was never really our game. We were dominant in the first half but mostly we put ball in at the wrong moment against a compact side," Klopp said.
"It was clear from the first second that we come here, Bournemouth are fighting to stay in the league, wonderful club, wonderful city, they want to stay in and they do really well.
"Results were not going in the right direction in the last few months but the performances look different and so they deserve the three points today, that's it."
Bournemouth weathered an early Liverpool storm in the first 20 minutes and proved a constant threat on the break through the lively Dango Ouattara, who skipped past Virgil van Dijk with ease in the 28th minute before cutting back for Billing to slot home.
Van Dijk in particular was not at the races at the Vitality Stadium, but Liverpool as a whole were largely devoid of ideas in the attacking third, and Klopp admitted that Billing's winner "probably" should have been defended better.
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"We cannot go through it completely, pass the ball, don't cover the space. I don't know 100% anymore how the positioning was, I need to watch it back. In the end, a ball comes from the outside into the inside and probably it should be defendable as well but I have to watch it back," Klopp said.
Smith's handball from Diogo Jota's header presented Salah with the chance to level from the spot after 68 minutes, in what was Liverpool's first Premier League penalty in 11 months, but the Egyptian horribly miscued his powerful strike.
"The last penalty we got in the league was long ago and it's completely hypothetical but if we score there, the game could turn," Klopp said on Salah's missed 12-yard effort.
"It doesn't make the performance better but could change the result at least. He scores goals, he scores a lot of goals but he missed the penalty, that's life."
Liverpool remain fifth in the table, but they are now at risk of being usurped by Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion as attention turns to Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid, who hold a 5-2 lead from the first encounter.
Ben Knapton
