Alexander Isak’s fourth goal of the season settled Liverpool’s win at Bournemouth, but it was the defence behind him that shaped the afternoon at the Vitality Stadium.
Isak had already sent one first-half effort wayward and ballooned a second-half cross over the bar to the amusement of the home crowd before finally finding the net. The travelling supporters’ chants of “Isak’s a Red” continued long after the final whistle.
What deserves greater attention is how few goals Liverpool are conceding. They have now kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets – the first time they have managed that since September 2024 – and did not allow an expected-goals figure above 0.76 in any of those matches.
For all the focus on a front three who each cost in excess of £100m, Liverpool are becoming a harder side to beat. “The more times they play together, the more solid the defensive line becomes,” Iraola said, pointing to Virgil van Dijk, Jeremy Jacquet, Ronald Araujo and Milos Kerkez. “They’re getting the connections and becoming more solid.”
Goalkeeper Alisson made an outstanding first-half save to deny Evanilson and Van Dijk was superb, but arguably the biggest positive of the campaign so far has been the emergence of Jacquet.
The 21-year-old has started every Premier League game since arriving from Rennes in a £60m move in the summer, and is set to make his France debut over the international break after being called up by Zinedine Zidane. “I think he has showed a lot of good things so far this season. Still so young, a lot to learn and a lot to give. Let’s keep it going,” Van Dijk said. Iraola added that Jacquet had initially felt the physical demands of the change of rhythm and had to be substituted in the early games. “Today has been a step forward. He looked solid until the end. I think he’s in a good place physically and I hope he can continue his development.”
Iraola was business-like on his return to Bournemouth, having said beforehand that the time for talks would come after the game, and he cut a frustrated figure for much of it as Liverpool struggled to get a hold on the match. He felt his side improved after the break and deserved the win.
The result leaves him with nine points from a possible 15 in the Premier League, alongside wins at Anfield in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup, with Liverpool unbeaten in all competitions. At 44, Iraola is the first manager to remain unbeaten in his first five league games in charge of Liverpool – winning two and drawing three – since Joe Fagan in September 1983.
“Overall, we have definitely improved since the first games,” he said. “Some of the things we still need to improve. I’m happy that it is the third league clean sheet in the row. Today is a difficult game – you never play comfortable here, Bournemouth does not allow you to play comfortably, they put you under pressure and you have to adapt and you have to win these kind of games.”
The need to adapt and find ways to win was stressed after the previous week’s goalless draw with Fulham, and Iraola is already looking at what comes next. “We still have to get ready because the schedule we have now is very difficult,” he said. “I think we play against the top four teams and then in between there is Champions League and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, every two or three days. So we have to be ready because this month after the break is very demanding for us.”
After the international break he will also need more from his attackers. Cody Gakpo was impressive again, but Florian Wirtz struggled and Bradley Barcola is still awaiting his first goal or assist for Liverpool. “It was a slow start but after the first phase Florian helped us to improve and I am much happier with his performance in the second half,” Iraola said. Of Isak, he added: “A striker’s job is like this. He had a couple of crosses that he did not hit properly or control but in the end he has to help us to be closer to the box, to play in the opposition’s half and have more meaningful possession. And then if the team is playing there, he will receive rewards in terms of goal.”