Michael Owen criticizes three Liverpool players for Bournemouth’s ‘rubbish’ goal.

Liverpool’s run of five Premier League clean sheets came to an end on Saturday as they were defeated 1-0 by Bournemouth

Michael Owen believes at least three Liverpool defenders were to blame for Bournemouth’s winning goal against the Reds on Saturday, calling it ‘rubbish’.

Jurgen Klopp’s team had preserved five consecutive Premier League clean sheets and arrived at the Vitality Stadium to play the bottom-of-the-league Cherries fresh off a 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United.

Nevertheless, there was no evidence of the intensity and drive that produced that eye-catching outcome on the south coast, and it was left to Bournemouth’s Philip Billing to side-foot home the game’s sole goal following Dango Ouattara’s cross.

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool had been chastised on social media for his role in the move, but former Ballon d’Or winner Owen believed that the Dutchman was not the only Liverpool defender at fault in a terrible stretch of play.

“Virgil van Dijk ends up going in where you think he shouldn’t, but then Konate can see the complete picture,” Owen stated on Premier League Productions. Van Dijk has entered the fray with his man. I think it’s a 50-50 call; I believe Konate tries to play offside when he can see everything in front of him and should be running back; as it is, Van Dijk comes back in, followed by Billing and Alexander-Arnold at the back post.

Trent Alexander

Arnold eventually comes to the back post, completely losing his man, and it’s a straightforward finish in the end. Konate, I believe, can do better (preventing the cross). Trent, on the other hand, utterly loses his man. It’s a bad objective to give up.”

Cody Gakpo’s first-half goal was ruled out for offside, and Mohamed Salah had a golden opportunity to salvage a point for Liverpool late on by blasting a penalty wide, but the Reds looked a shell of the squad that had smacked Manchester United with seven strokes of the cane only a week before.

They must now focus on a near-impossible task in the Champions League this week, as Klopp’s team attempts to overcome a three-goal deficit against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.