Jacquet anchors Liverpool to clean sheet on Bournemouth return

Defence the hero as Liverpool edge Bournemouth

Alexander Isak may have been Liverpool's match-winner on Andoni Iraola's return to Bournemouth, but it was an afternoon to celebrate defence rather than attack at the Vitality Stadium, where the Reds ran out 1-0 winners.

Liverpool's front four, signed for a combined £400m, were shorn of fluidity and chemistry. The real stars were in defence, with Ronald Araújo strong at right-back and Jérémy Jacquet commanding at centre-back.

Liverpool have kept three straight clean sheets in the league for the first time since the start of last season, and Jacquet's partnership with Virgil van Dijk is blossoming. Last week the 21-year-old, a £60m arrival from Rennes, was named in France's squad in his first senior call-up.

"He is adapting really well to the Premier League," Iraola said of Jacquet. "I think in the first games, physically he was feeling the change of rhythm, he was finishing with cramps, really tired and we had to sub him. Today [Sunday] has been a step forward."