Liverpool, Bournemouth Draw After Joshua King's Late Equaliser

Bournemouth secured a shock point at Anfield on Wednesday evening as Joshua King's 87th-minute goal leveled the contest at 2-2 and gave the Cherries a huge draw with Liverpool.

The Reds appeared to have recovered from Benik Afobe's early goal after Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi each found the net, but King's late tally after a scramble at the net equalised for Bournemouth and broke Anfield hearts in the process.

For a Liverpool team that has struggled defensively throughout the season and has regularly dropped points against clubs they should have handled, Wednesday's result was all too familiar. The Reds will likely be pleased to be done with Bournemouth after the Cherries also erased a 3-1 lead in December, winning that matchup 4-3.

Bournemouth opened the scoring in the seventh minute, a concession from Liverpool that Georginio Wijnaldum quickly lamented. The midfielder sent a lazy pass toward goalkeeper Simon Mignolet but didn't see Afobe lurking, and the striker pounced, intercepting the pass and nicking his shot past the onrushing Mignolet.

The Anfield supporters, in turn, were left in stunned silence.

But Liverpool's talisman, Coutinho, had an answer in the 40th minute.

Roberto Firmino neutralized four Bournemouth players with a bit of clever footwork and a deft pass that freed a sprinting Coutinho in the box. The Brazilian gathered the pass and sorted his feet, dinking a finish past Artur Boruc.

It was a historic goal for Coutinho, per Squawka Football:

It was also the change in momentum the Reds needed, as James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo noted:

Indeed, just minutes into the second half, Wijnaldum would have his redemption. 

The midfielder used a bit of sly footwork himself to turn Jack Wilshere around in the box and create space for himself. He played a perfect cross on to the head of Origi, where the unmarked striker gave Liverpool the lead in the 59th minute.

Empire of the Kop enjoyed Wijnaldum's deke-and-dash routine to set up the goal:

But it was Bournemouth that would have the last laugh, as a failed Liverpool clearance made its way to King, who held off a defender and found the net for the game's equalising score. And there will certainly be questions about Jurgen Klopp's decision to take off Coutinho and go with a back three late in the second half given Liverpool's inability to secure the three points.

The loss moved Liverpool five points behind Tottenham for second place, with Spurs holding a game in hand. Manchester City trail the Reds by two points with a game in hand as well, while Arsenal's 3-0 win on Wednesday moved them to six points behind Liverpool with two fewer matches played.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, moved seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Up next for Liverpool is a Saturday showdown with Stoke City, while Bournemouth face league-leading Chelsea on the same day.

Post-Match Reaction

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

After the match, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was pleased with the result, per Andy Kelly of the Liverpool Echo:

"We tweaked what we normally do," he added, per Glenn Price of ESPN FC. "We were a little more passive than we normally are. We never gave up."

Klopp, on the other hand, was disappointed with the result. Queasy even.

"It nearly made me vomit," he said of Bournemouth's second goal, according to Price.

He also justified his late-game tactics, per Kelly:

"We have to learn a lot," he added, according to Price. "We have to get more experienced, for sure."