Bournemouth bemoan confusion over offside law as Liverpool benefit

Liverpool secured their second 1-0 win of the season tonight as they beat Bournemouth at Anfield thanks to a Christian Benteke goal.

Howe is correct to say that officials have a difficult job, but it’s hard not to feel for Bournemouth after both of the game’s most important refereeing decisions went against the newly promoted side. Under the new rules that is clearly offside.

Rodgers said of the decisions, according to the Liverpool Echo: “I haven’t seen either of them again, we obviously had a good period of pressure leading up to the goal”.

“Once the players get used to seeing that and working with that, that will offer us more opportunities to score goals”.

But he was deemed to have pushed his Liverpool counterpart down as he attempted to gain the height to make contact with the ball and, speaking after the game, Elphick revealed his frustrations at seeing his side lose in controversial fashion.

“The new offside rule is a grey “The new offside rule is a grey area”.

Winger Matt Ritchie scored 15 goals for Bournemouth last term and clipped the post on the hour mark, while in the dying embers of proceedings Benteke struck the crossbar from full-back Nathaniel Clyne’s low right-wing cross. He’s been aggressive but if that’s a foul then we will be having a foul every time there are corners. We were in the game, the big decisions have gone against us. I just think if you’re offside, you’re offside.

Rodgers said: “I think they’re an excellent team”.

Following the close-fought 1-0 victory over the Cherries, Rodgers mentioned that Eddie Howe’s attacking style of play will ensure the Dorset outfit retain their top-flight status.

“I thought we started the game brilliantly”.

“Jordan has had a problem with the bottom of his foot and hasn’t trained for much of the week”. It is a yard and a half offside and he is clearly impacting. “We have to improve on our defensive qualities and we showed that we can be solid in defence”, the 24-year-old told the club’s website after the game.

Bournemouth can count themselves rather unfortunate not to leave Anfield with a point since Christian Benteke’s victor should have been disallowed, following the changes to the offside rule.