Alex Livesey/Getty Images Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday thanks to a 3-0 win over Bournemouth at Anfield. Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Mohamed Salah scored the goals as the Reds put the pressure back on Manchester City—who host Chelsea on Sunday—in the title race. Klopp Must Let Wijnaldum off the Leash More Often Jurgen Klopp shouldn't have needed a reminder about Wijnaldum's superior quality going forward, but he still received an emphatic one courtesy of the midfielder's classy goal. Everything about the goal summed up why Wijnaldum must be let off the leash and allowed to get forward more often by his manager. It started with the energy and sense of timing to break from a deep area and run beyond the front. Wijnaldum's pace and power meant nobody in the Bournemouth midfield could stay with him. Then there was the polished technique typical of a Netherlands international. His first touch to control Andy Robertson's pass over the top was exceptional. Yet it was merely the teaser for the main event, a delicate lob any marquee striker would have been proud to produce. While the goal finally put Wijnaldum in double digits for the Reds, a player with this much talent in the final third should be scoring for fun: Videos you might like Goals were never a problem for 28-year-old during prolific spells with PSV Eindhoven and Newcastle United. It's time for Klopp to let Wijnaldum be Wijnaldum. His ability to break and support the forward line with goals can prove decisive in this tight title race. Liverpool Can't Keep Carrying Roberto Firmino Save for one admittedly slick backheel to tee up Salah to score, Roberto Firmino once again resembled a passenger in the Liverpool attack. The Brazil international couldn't find his range in front of goal during the early stages, with Artur Boruc twice denying him from close range. Later, he wasted a glorious chance on the break, shooting straight at Boruc when one-on-one with the Bournemouth stopper. Firmino also struggled to set his radar when creating chances. Through passes were cut out too easily, a major problem for a player asked to operate more as a No. 10 this season. PAUL ELLIS/Getty Images While Firmino eventually redeemed himself with that sweet assist for Salah, Klopp must be concerned about the South American's growing profligacy. It's now just one goal in his last five league matches. The 27-year-old was heavily criticised for a forlorn display against the Hammers on Monday night, with Jake Polden of the Daily Mirror chiding the forward for being "simply marked out of the game." Bournemouth's defence was much more accommodating, but Firmino was still carried by the efforts of his team-mates for long periods. It's a luxury Liverpool can't afford in such an intense title race. Klopp should give Daniel Sturridge or Divock Origi more chances to add greater potency up top. What's Next? Liverpool host Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, February 19. Meanwhile, Bournemouth will next be in action on Saturday, February 23, for a home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.<doc-sep>Liverpool did not fluff their lines a third time. They returned to the top of the league with a slick and stylish victory that showcased the attacking talent they have at their disposal and made a useful dent in the goal-difference advantage Manchester City hold. City can regain the lead by beating Chelsea on Sunday, but Liverpool will then have a game in hand, a rest until the Champions League resumes with the visit of Bayern Munich, and the knowledge they can still overwhelm opponents when the need arises. Bournemouth may not present the toughest of challenges away from home, but after the points recently dropped most Liverpool fans would have greeted any sort of win with relief. The results are all that really count at this stage of the title race and Liverpool know if they keep winning there is nothing City can do, though this was a comfortable and controlled performance that could have produced a more emphatic scoreline and suggested plenty left in reserve. Just about the only disappointment for Jürgen Klopp and his players was a succession of missed chances at the end. With a little more composure in front of goal Liverpool could practically have wiped out the goal-difference deficit, and what a statement of intent that would have been. The opening goal came midway through the first half and changed the mood of the afternoon completely. In the 23 minutes that preceded it, Liverpool had shown diligence and patience but not much imagination in trying to break down Bournemouth’s low defensive block. The visitors found they could cope with buildup play that varied between predictable and clumsy, and when Mohamed Salah found pockets of space on the right his attempts on goal did not cause Artur Boruc undue concern. The breakthrough, when it came, was simplicity itself, although Eddie Howe was probably right in claiming it was fractionally offside. A James Milner corner failed to beat the first defender, but when Naby Keïta calmly returned the ball to the right for the jobbing full-back to have another go he swung over a much better cross that Sadio Mané met with a firm downward header. It was his fourth goal in four games and Mané showed his versatility a couple of minutes later by launching Liverpool’s next attack from close to the corner flag in his own half. A clever ball down the left channel found Roberto Firmino running into free space and when the Brazilian looked up he was able to pick out Georginio Wijnaldum up in support. The midfielder should probably have gone for goal himself from a threatening position, though he appeared to lack confidence and moved the ball wider to Salah, who miscontrolled. Wijnaldum did not make the same mistake when his next chance arrived 10 minutes later, courtesy of an inspired ball forward from Andy Robertson. Again in an unusually advanced position, Wijnaldum first showed neat control to reach the pass, then with the ball still bouncing spotted his opportunity to lift a shot over Boruc, who had advanced slightly from his line. Bournemouth had stayed mostly compact after going a goal down but were obliged to come out a little with their deficit doubled. Before retiring to defensive duties the visitors had almost taken an early lead when Ryan Fraser tested Alisson in the second minute, but the goalkeeper beat away the shot. Salah brought a save from Boruc at the end of the first half as Liverpool tried to extend their lead and Jefferson Lerma fired over the bar just before the interval with his side attempting to get back into the game. Within three minutes of the restart Bournemouth’s hopes of a comeback were quashed when Liverpool pushed further ahead in exquisite style. Salah scored it, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner with his usual efficiency, though the sublime touches came from Keïta, with a superbly weighted ball forward into Firmino’s path, and Firmino himself, who dummied to shoot before casually backheeling the ball into space where he knew Salah would be waiting. It was the Egyptian’s 20th goal of the campaign in all competitions, making him the first Liverpool player since Luis Suárez to achieve the feat in successive seasons. The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email Salah hit the bar with only Boruc to beat as the game moved into its final quarter. The result was never in doubt but when Keïta, Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold joined him in missing gilt-edged opportunities from close range in the closing minutes it meant Bournemouth were allowed to get off relatively lightly. A little more ruthlessness would not go amiss if this is to be Liverpool’s year.<doc-sep>Liverpool got their Premier League title charge back on track against Bournemouth. Here's why it was exactly the performance they needed. It was not so much the victory but the manner of it that will satisfy Liverpool supporters the most. Jurgen Klopp's men ran out 3-0 winners at Anfield but it could easily have been more. Much more. The hope now is that this performance will signal a lasting return to form. Consecutive draws against Leicester and West Ham had allowed Manchester City to close the gap, prompting fears of title-race jitters, but more worrying still was that Liverpool had already been out-of-sorts for weeks. The wins over Crystal Palace and Brighton were achieved by the narrowest of margins. Before that there were defeats to Wolves and City. Not since the end of December - when they thumped Newcastle and Arsenal in the space of a few days - had Liverpool been at their free-flowing best, but this was more like it. Bournemouth can be a dangerous opponent - Chelsea will testify to that - but they could barely lay a glove on them. Any expectation that Liverpool might freeze under the pressure soon disappeared. Instead, they started at full-throttle, forcing the visitors back with the kind of aggression they have recently lacked. Indeed, it was telling that they won possession in the attacking third more times in the first half (seven) than in the full 90 minutes against either Leicester or West Ham. 2:55 Highlights from Liverpool's win against Bournemouth in the Premier League They continued in the same vein. By the end, Premier League tracking data showed they had made more high-intensity sprints (140) than in any game since their 1-0 win over Everton at the start of December. Sadio Mane was the man to break the deadlock. The Senegal international has been one of few Liverpool players to have impressed consistently in recent weeks, hitting vital goals against Palace, Leicester and West Ham, and he was on the spot again to extend his scoring run when he headed home James Milner's cross midway through the first half. Mane impressed right up until his substitution but this time he was not alone. Mohamed Salah was at the heart of everything, scoring the third and striking the crossbar in the closing stages, and Roberto Firmino was back to his best, too, albeit without the goal his performance deserved. Image: Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool's third goal Their combination play was dazzling at times, most notably for Liverpool's third goal - a move which involved every member of their attacking trident. First, Mane turned smartly on the ball just inside Liverpool's half and fed Naby Keita, who threaded it through to Firmino. The Brazilian shaped to shoot before backheeling the ball to Salah, who finished coolly. It was a devastating passage of play which highlighted their near-telepathic understanding, and there was more to come. Less than 10 minutes later, Salah showed impressive awareness to release Georginio Wijnaldum, whose delicate cross was perfect for the unmarked Mane. This time, however, his header drifted wide. Liverpool were in the mood, springing forward on the counter-attack at every opportunity in the closing stages, but it was not just the front three who made life so difficult for Bournemouth. Keita produced one of his best performances for the club in midfield, making more tackles (seven) and more recoveries (12) than anyone else on the pitch and also freeing up Wijnaldum to bomb forward. Image: Naby Keita impressed in Liverpool's midfield The Dutchman's goal, brilliantly lifted over Artur Boruc, rewarded an unusually adventurous performance. With Keita and Fabinho sweeping up behind him, he registered his highest numbers of the season for touches in the opposition box (five) and shots on target (two). He created more chances (three) than in his previous six appearances combined. Liverpool's free-wheeling counter-attacks and unrelenting intensity made a mockery of suggestions that they had lost their nerve in the title race, and there was impressive defensive focus, too. Bournemouth managed 12 shots but only two of them were on target and none of them were clear chances. Virgil van Dijk was commanding and composed, completing 103 of his 107 passes, and Joel Matip impressed alongside him, making more more clearances than any other player (11) and, like Van Dijk, using the ball well too. Midway through the first half, there was even an outstanding long pass to put Firmino through on goal. All in all, then, it was exactly the response that Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp needed. Their return to the top of the Premier League may prove to be temporary, but the dip in form is over. On this evidence, Liverpool are already back to their best.<doc-sep>
Liverpool bounced back from their recent dip in form with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bournemouth, at Anfield. (1:19) LIVERPOOL, England -- Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League with an emphatic 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday. Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Mohamed Salah scored the goals at Anfield as Liverpool's title charge got back on track after dropping points in their last two matches. Manchester City, however, can reclaim the top spot on goal difference with a victory over Chelsea on Sunday. Positives When Liverpool needed to deliver, they did, and then some. All the talk leading up to the game was about how Liverpool were showing signs of nerves in the title race after poor draws with Leicester City and West Ham United. Yet the pre-blip Liverpool returned and swatted Bournemouth aside with ease. The title is still in their hands, and Liverpool may have emerged from a rough patch of the season with 11 points from a possible 18. Meanwhile, Wijnaldum's brilliant season should get the recognition it deserves after his goal. Naby Keita, too, can build on this game. Negatives Looking ahead, Liverpool's game in hand over City is a visit to the in-form Manchester United. United recorded their 10th win out of 11 under new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the hours before the Bournemouth game. Manager rating out of 10 8 -- Klopp made just one change to his lineup. Despite the similar personnel, the performance was entirely different from those in the back-to-back draws. Liverpool's pressing was much sharper, as was their ability to break down a congested and narrow opposition. Klopp's side's third goal is one to watch again and again. Player ratings: (1-10; 10=best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating) GK Alisson, 7 -- A good save in the second minute to deny Ryan Fraser. Any lapse in concentration from the Brazilian may have led to a different result. DF James Milner, 6 -- He claims another assist for a Mane goal, although this time, Milner was certainly onside. The midfielder will be relieved to see full-time right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold return from injury. DF Virgil van Dijk, 6 -- A decent performance. He will be hugely missed when Liverpool return after a 10-day break. The centre-half is suspended for the first leg of the last-16 Champions League tie with Bayern Munich. DF Joel Matip, 6 -- Much improved from Matip. An important response to patchy form, particularly with Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren still sidelined. Wijnaldum showed why he was missed in last week's draw at West Ham, scoring a goal and knitting play together as Liverpool returned to winning ways. PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images DF Andrew Robertson, 8 -- Excellent defensively, while contributing effectively to Liverpool's attacking play. A typical day's work for one of the best left-backs in the world. MF Georginio Wijnaldum, 8 -- Sorely missed against West Ham United and was vital to this win, scoring his second goal of the season, an audacious chip over Artur Boruc. MF Fabinho, 7 -- This was a very good performance from the tenacious midfielder. He also displayed his eye for a pass numerous times. MF Naby Keita, 7 -- Turns 24 on Sunday and can enjoy his birthday after a very encouraging outing. Obvious to see he was playing with much more confidence. His through-ball in the buildup to Salah's goal was exquisite. FW Sadio Mane, 8 -- The speedster has now scored in four consecutive Premier League matches in a single season for the first time. FW Roberto Firmino, 7 -- His flick to put Salah through on goal was truly world-class. It was a more typical performance from the No. 9 after the stinker at West Ham. FW Mohamed Salah, 8 -- Looked determined to end a two-game goal drought from the first second and did so with a cool finish to round off a lovely move for the final goal. Substitutes DF Trent Alexander-Arnold (76), N/R -- Liverpool finally have a recognised right-back fit, with Alexander-Arnold returning after nearly a month out. FW Divock Origi (87), N/R -- Another appearance for the back-up striker. FW Daniel Sturridge (90), N/R -- His introduction allowed for Firmino to receive a standing ovation.