Bournemouth fell to their second successive single goal loss, after Christian Benteke's goal saw Liverpool beat them 1-0 at Anfield following a number of questionable officiating decisions. 

Visitors start strong in first away game

The newly promoted side began the game well and showed no fear as just two minutes, Callum Wilson earned a corner which was taken short and headed away from danger by Nathaniel Clyne.

But in truly end-to-end fashion, Liverpool replied as Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana combined and Benteke earned a corner nodded  down by Martin Skrtel and then volleyed wide of goal by Jordon Ibe in the 4th minute.

The visiting fans erupted in anger just five minutes in as they thought they'd scored their first goal, when Tommy Elphick nodded home a corner only to be perhaps unfairly pulled back for a debatable foul on Dejan Lovren.

Lovren would again be involved 7 minutes in when Callum Wilson outmuscled the Croatian, and Bournemouth would again threaten from the corner but new signing Max Gradel dribbled out of bounds.

The Cherries would continue to pile on the pressure early on as they earned a free kick for a foul by Benteke, but Gradel hit it well wide of goal in the 10th minute.

Dribbling on the left wing, Ibe took on two Bournemouth defenders in the 12th minute to break their spell on possession but the return pass from Coutinho couldn't get to Ibe before rolling out.

As the Reds desperately tried to take control of the game, moments later Coutinho tried to thread a pass into the box to an onrushing Clyne, but the right back was swarmed by Bournemouth defenders before he could get a shot off.

Home side begin to control proceedings and take the lead

Liverpool began to settle into an attacking rhythm following an extended spell of possession as Coutinho hit a pass from deep to Benteke, but the Belgian couldn't latch onto the pass before Artur Boruc got his hands to it in the 17th minute.

Coutinho played the role of the playmaker once again in the 20th minute when his deep searching pass found Ibe on the left wing but Ibe's second touch was poor and the ball wound up out of play.

Benteke began to find his way into the game in the 24th minute when he latched onto a poor back pass from Eunan O'Kane but his strike from distance flew wide of goal.

Nevertheless, Liverpool would finally be rewarded for their hard work in the 26th minute following a short corner as Jordan Henderson received a return pass from Clyne, crossed into the box and Benteke got on the end of the cross at the far post to prod home the ball with a raised toe - though there was a hint of offside to Coutinho's role in the goal, which the visiting fans were rightly aggrieved not to have been awarded.

Minutes later, Liverpool nearly doubled their lead as Milner's low hit free kick found the feet of Henderson whose volley flew agonizingly above the bar of Bournemouth's goal, as the visitors dug in to keep the deficit to just one goal.

Coutinho and Benteke would again combine in the 30th minute as Benteke's backheel found the feet of Coutinho but the Brazilian's shot from the edge of the box drifted wide despite bouncing around in the box.

Bournemouth would come up for air near the close of the first half as the Liverpool attack began to slow down, but they were nearly caught napping in the 44th minute when Clyne turned and passed as the deflection fell to the feet of Coutinho but the 23-year-old couldn't curl his shot on goal as the first half came to an end much to the relief of Bournemouth fans.

Cherries fly out of the blocks after half-time

Bournemouth began the second half well as Matt Ritchie drifted centrally to hit a shot from the edge of the box with his left foot but Simon Mignolet caught it with ease in the 47th minute.

He tried another effort in similar fashion only two minutes later, but could only curl his shot wide of goal and out for a goal kick this time.

Liverpool would however respond, taking possession back in the 50th minute as Ibe drove at defenders on the edge of the box and attempted to curl a shot toward goal in Coutinho-esque fashion, but the Englishman's shot was well wide of the target.

Ibe continued to swerve and dribble at goal, playing in a threaded pass to Milner in the box in the 55th minute - but Milner fluffed his shot inches from goal, much to the dismay of Liverpool fans.

Ritchie was the danger man for Bournemouth again in the 60th minute when he blasted a shot toward goal, but the strike was inches wide of goal as Bournemouth searched for an equaliser.

They continued to come close and in the 63rd minute, Wilson played Tomlin into the box, but he hit the side netting as they continued to carve out good openings.

Eddie Howe's side unable to convert chances 

Liverpool would catch a break in the 67th minute as they earned a free-kick following a hand-ball, but Coutinho could only hit the ball straight at the Bournemouth wall.

The Brazilian was at the heart of everything and he and Lallana combined well with a one-two in the 70th minute, but the Brazilian managed to sky his shot high above the crossbar.

Benteke did well to find Coutinho in acres of space in the 74th minute but Charlie Daniels did brilliantly to put his body on the line and block Coutinho's shot.

Bournemouth would press Liverpool late on following several yellow cards for breaking up fast breaks, and Daniels would earn a corner for them in the 80th minute - but the follow up header flew wide of goal.

The away side would continue to press late on as Liverpool fans squirmed nervously in their seats as Tomlin earned a corner following a deflected shot off of substitute Alberto Moreno in the 85th minute, but Simon Francis' header lept up and over the bar.

Tomlin threatened again in the 87th minute with a header toward goal but Mignolet caught it with ease and Liverpool pushed forward. Moments later, Clyne found himself on the edge of the box but couldn't get his shot on target as Liverpool relieved some pressure late on.

Clyne was in action once again in the 90th minute as his cross found Benteke in the box but the big Belgian hit the bar only for Lallana to waste the follow up opportunity.

In the last real chance of the game, Moreno got forward well, beating several Bournemouth defenders, before being taken down on the edge of the box in stoppage time though Milner would hit the subsequent freekick well wide.

Hosts hold out as Bournemouth fall to another 1-0 loss

The closing moments saw Liverpool absorb pressure as Bournemouth possessed the ball, but the newly-promoted side couldn't threaten and the Reds hung on for the three points.

The result leaves Bournemouth second bottom without a point or a goal through two matches, with their maiden voyage in the Premier League continuing against West Ham at Boelyn Ground on August 22nd.

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