Liverpool boss Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk at loggerheads over reason for dramatic Bournemouth loss

Slot's men had demonstrated tremendous character to recover from a two-goal deficit at the interval.

Van Dijk reduced the arrears with a header just before the break, whilst Dominik Szoboszlai completed the fightback with ten minutes remaining, converting from a Mohamed Salah free-kick.

The defeat marks Liverpool's first loss since November, and they remain without a Premier League triumph in 2025.

Speaking after the match, Slot described the outcome as particularly harsh given his side's spirited recovery.

"It is a cruel game if you lose in extra time after coming back from 2-0 down at half-time," the Liverpool manager reflected.

The Dutchman pointed to fixture congestion as a significant factor in the closing stages, noting his players had only enjoyed a two-day gap between matches.

"It is fair to say that in the last 10-minutes it was more open but I could see that my players were tired because we only had two days in between each game," Slot explained.

He acknowledged that Bournemouth's final ten minutes represented their strongest spell, adding that he could not fault his exhausted squad when facing such an intense opponent.

Captain Van Dijk cut a frustrated figure in his post-match interview with Sky Sports, expressing his dismay at conceding so late in proceedings.

"I am very disappointed. Last minute of the game is very tough to take, we worked very hard in the second half to get back in the game and to concede that late is disappointing," the Dutch defender stated.

The centre-back was observed challenging the referee immediately after Adli's decisive goal, and he subsequently revealed his grievance.

"What I felt on that pitch is that I was blocked but the referee and VAR didn't give it. I can stand here and say it shouldn't have been given bit it was, so it is what it is," Van Dijk remarked.

He also attributed the loss to a crucial moment of possession, stating simply: "In the end, that throw in cost us."

Liverpool's first-half collapse proved particularly damaging, with a disastrous seven-minute period leaving them facing an uphill battle on the south coast.

Evanilson opened the scoring on 26 minutes after Van Dijk failed to clear, with Joe Gomez sustaining an injury in a collision with goalkeeper Alisson during the attempt to block.

Despite Wataru Endo waiting to enter the fray, Liverpool continued with ten men for seven minutes rather than halting play, during which Alex Jimenez doubled the hosts' advantage.

Reflecting on the team's current form, Van Dijk insisted unity was not in question but acknowledged improvements were necessary.

"I don't think there is any question about our togetherness but the consistency we are looking for still needs to be found," the captain admitted, emphasising the squad's determination to perform and secure victories.