Liverpool continue to push their closest rivals for the Premier League title by taking all three points against one of the most in-form teams in the league.

Bournemouth managed to dispatch Liverpool's own boogey team this season - Nottingham Forest - by putting 5 past Nuno Espirito Santo's side in the previous week, which understandably raised the bar of concern over the results of this match going into the weekend.

Thankfully, Liverpool did what they've done basically every match this season: showed up and turned in an exceedingly well-played match.

Let's take a closer look at how it went.

How The Fans Reacted We'll start here as launching pad because while there were certainly periods where Bournemouth gave Liverpool defenders something to think about, including Antoine Semenyo's rattler off the post in the first half, it should be important to note that Bournemouth created very little.

According to Opta, Liverpool won the xG battle 2.

66 to 1, which matches the general flow of the match and that, for everything bar Justin Kluivert's big miss with what we might call an open net, Liverpool's defense ensured that all of Bournemouth's shots were mostly contested and at angles that lowered the xG.

This likely belongs in the tactics section - or in a deeper tactics piece written by someone with more expertise than I - but upon reflection, those weren't all chances I would qualify as big or cause for concern.

And, in fact, it seems part of Liverpool's defensive strategy to prevent big chances and force attackers to be met with either a defender closing off the more threatening space/angle and ensuring that most shots are contested.

I know that sounds exceedingly basic (hence me volunteering more tactically astute folks to sort this), but what felt like a period where Liverpool looked rickety given how those - relatively low xG - Villain shots ended (rattling off the net, forcing a save), looks much more secure and part of the overall defensive objective for Liverpool.

Talking Tactics Currently preoccupied with learning more about the extend of Trent Alexander-Arnold's injury but it was important to note that over the last few weeks, I've noticed the return of TAA tucking into midfield.

But the wrinkle I've noticed in a much more prominent sense this match was that he's taking up spaces that are more advanced than the low box/deep-lying playmaker type role he took up in midfield under Jurgen Klopp.

Today, Trent was consistently ahead of Ryan Gravenberch (who was once more immense in providing coverage for Trent) in and around the 30 yard area, often quite central.

In the end there isn't much too criticize about the overall performance given that Slot's tactics eventually forced an opening through Andoni Iraola's stubborn defense, but would note that the spacing in the box looked a bit chaotic at times.

Trent, himself, looked a bit off the pace with his passes feeling a touch erratic, but it's tough to determine if it was just an off day or if it was part of what might be a more extreme extrapolation of the role he plays as the player given perhaps the most free reign to try an audacious pass in an attempt to unlock a defense.

Worth noting that he also found himself with a very clear chance as Mohamed Salah picked him out on a late run into the box.

Will be interesting to see this develop.

Giving Credit to the Opponent There's a lot I can say about Iraola's side but the Cherries are really, really fun to watch and this match was one of the most entertaining I've seen this season.

It is refreshing to play against a side that not only has an identity, but one that's rearing to just play and put in as good and committed a shift as possible.

Doing so with a squad that's not just smaller than others near the top of the table, but one that's currently decimated by injuries makes this run quite special.

Unsure of how long Bournemouth will be able to hold on to Iraola - his profile has understandably risen across Europe.

But I'd wager that Bournemouth's invested well in terms of setting up a team that is poised to push on.

If they're the next iteration of Brighton, the rest of the League should all take notice.

What Happens Next The next three matches are big ones: Liverpool take on Tottenham midweek in the reverse fixture of the League Cup semi-final with a deficit to overcome in order to advance; Plymouth Argyle in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup; and a meeting with a re-energized Everton in the Merseyside Derby that would finally see Liverpool lose their match in-hand.

Liverpool have set themselves up well to keep the pressure in terms of chasing the various trophies they're hoping for on other teams, but one feels that between Manchester City-Arsenal tomorrow and then this slate of matches for the Reds, we're well-into the business end of the season already.

Up to the Reds to continue to turn in the results and to ensure that they remain the authors of their own footballing destinies.

.