"A little bit disappointed" - Bournemouth manager makes huge claims after 1-0 win over Liverpool
AFC Bournemouth manager Gary O'Neil has said that he was disappointed that the Cherries did not score more goals in their shock 1-0 win against Liverpool.
The Reds faced bottom-placed Bournemouth in the Premier League at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday (March 11). They went into the game high on confidence after thrashing Manchester United 7-0 in their previous game.
However, things did not go according to plan for Liverpool as they succumbed to a surprise 1-0 defeat. A first-half goal from Philip Billing gave the Cherries the win. Mohamed Salah missed a chance to equalize for the visitors after shockingly missing a penalty in the second half.
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Speaking after the game, O'Neil said that he wanted Bournemouth to put more goals past Liverpool. The Cherries manager also boldly claimed that he did not feel threatened by Jurgen Klopp and Co.
“A little bit disappointed we didn’t score more than one,” O’Neil told BT Sport (via The Athletic). “The penalty went in our favor. But we’re competitive, we had a right go, and as the lads deserved it went our way."
“I think it will always feel like that when you’re winning a game against a good side. You need things to go your way a little bit. But we were able to get out and I didn’t feel a real threat."
The win saw Bournemouth move out of the relegation zone. With 12 Premier League games left to play, O'Neil is confident that his team can survive relegation. He added:
“I have belief (we can stay up). I’m sure the boys believe me. They can believe me after today.”
Bournemouth are 17th in the standings with 24 points from 26 games. However, they could find themselves back in the relegation zone if West Ham United or Southampton win their games on Sunday (March 12).
What next for Liverpool?
It appeared Liverpool had turned a corner when they went five games unbeaten in the Premier League before their trip to Bournemouth. However, they are back to square one for them after a demoralizing defeat against the Cherries.
The Reds are placed fifth in the standings and sit six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. They can close the gap with Spurs to three points if they win their game in hand.
Jurgen Klopp and Co. will look to bounce back when they face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (March 15). They face an uphill task to qualify for the quarterfinals as they lost 5-2 to the Spanish giants in the first leg of the tie last month.