Isak Gives Iraola a Winning Return to Bournemouth as Liverpool Edge 1-0

Andoni Iraola returned to the Vitality Stadium as Liverpool manager on Sunday 20 September and left with three points. Alexander Isak scored the only goal early in the second half, and Alisson made a series of important saves, as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 1-0 to remain unbeaten this season.

The victory was Liverpool’s second in the league and moved them to nine points from five matches, sixth in the table going into the international break. For Bournemouth, now managed by Marco Rose, it was another afternoon without a league win.

How the game was won

Liverpool struggled in the first half. Dominik Szoboszlai hit the post with a free-kick, but Bournemouth had the better of the early chances. The best fell to Evanilson, whose near-post flick from Marcus Tavernier’s cross was palmed away brilliantly by Alisson. The Brazilian also denied a cut-back from Bradley Barcola before the break.

Iraola’s side improved after the interval and took the lead in the 57th minute. Cody Gakpo worked the ball down the right and delivered a cross which took a slight touch off Florian Wirtz before Isak turned it in for his fourth goal of the season.

Bournemouth pushed for an equaliser and Evanilson again tested Alisson with a curling effort midway through the half, but Liverpool controlled the closing stages. They finished with 54 per cent possession and 12 shots to Bournemouth’s nine, according to NBC Sports.

• Result: AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Liverpool, Sunday 20 September 2026.
• Goal: Alexander Isak (57), his fourth of the season.
• Key saves: Alisson from Evanilson twice and from Bradley Barcola.
• Woodwork: Dominik Szoboszlai hit the post from a free-kick in the first half.
• Liverpool are sixth on nine points and unbeaten in the league.

What the managers said

Iraola was honest about the first half. “We could see in the game, at the beginning in the first 20 minutes, we weren’t at the level,” he told Sky Sports. “The second half we played better.” Speaking to NBC Sports, he added: “I’m always happy with the result because I know this is a very difficult place to get three points.”

Isak echoed his manager. “It was a massive win, very hard-fought, difficult game, difficult place to play,” the Sweden striker said. Rose felt the match had been finely balanced. “We couldn’t see that one team deserved to win,” the Bournemouth manager said, adding that his players had “panicked a little bit in tight situations.”

Analysis: Iraola’s old problem becomes his new solution

There was a neat irony in Iraola winning on this ground. During his time at Bournemouth, his teams struggled badly against Liverpool; NBC Sports noted that he lost six of seven meetings, with his side outscored 18-4. The coach who built Bournemouth into a high-energy pressing team now has the resources of the club that caused him so many problems.

Yet this was not a performance full of Iraola’s trademark intensity, at least not in the first half. Jamie Carragher described Liverpool’s early display as “lethargic” on Sky Sports, and it took individual quality – Alisson’s reflexes and Gakpo’s work on the right – to keep them in front. Gakpo was arguably the most influential player on the pitch, combining the assist with a strong defensive contribution.

The broader picture is encouraging for Liverpool. They are unbeaten, have now won at a difficult away ground, and Isak is scoring regularly. Earlier in the week they also beat Tottenham in the Carabao Cup. According to Manchester City’s own match preview, Liverpool are seven games unbeaten across all competitions this season.

The concern is that they have drawn three of their five league matches. Nine points leaves them six behind leaders Manchester City, whose perfect record continued the same day with a 5-3 win over Sunderland. Iraola will know that grinding out results is valuable, but Liverpool will need more complete performances to close that gap.

Isak’s form is a significant positive. Four goals by the third week of September suggests he has settled into Iraola’s system, and his movement in the box for the winner showed the sharp instincts that make him so valuable. Wirtz’s involvement, even if only a slight touch, also showed Liverpool’s attackers combining in the areas that matter. The challenge now is to create those moments more regularly rather than relying on one decisive action.

Alisson deserves special mention. Without his saves from Evanilson and Barcola, Liverpool could easily have gone behind in the first half and faced a very different afternoon. Goalkeepers often decide tight away matches, and the Brazilian’s experience was invaluable on a day when his team was not at its best.

Bournemouth’s difficult start

For Bournemouth, the performance offered encouragement even if the result did not. They created good chances in the first half and forced Alisson into a string of saves. But Rose is still waiting for a first league victory since taking charge, and the club sat 17th after this round of fixtures, level on points with Coventry City.

• Bournemouth remain without a league win under Marco Rose.
• Evanilson was their most dangerous player, twice denied by Alisson.
• They sit 17th, level with Coventry City, going into the break.
• Their next league game is away to Chelsea after the international window.

The Anfield test ahead

Liverpool’s first match after the break could hardly be bigger. They host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday 11 October, a fixture that will offer a clearer measure of where Iraola’s team stands. City won all three meetings between the clubs last season, including a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory in April.

For Liverpool fans in Malaysia, who make up one of the club’s most passionate overseas followings, this was a match that ended on Sunday night local time with a sense of relief rather than euphoria. The team is winning without yet playing at its best. Whether that is a sign of resilience or a warning will become clearer when City arrive at Anfield.

Iraola’s immediate task during the break is to find ways to start matches with more energy. Liverpool have the players to dominate games, as the second half at Bournemouth showed. If they can produce that level for 90 minutes, the unbeaten run could become the platform for a genuine title challenge.