On the eve of the match against Bournemouth, the Liverpool manager Arne Slot commented: “I would like to welcome Andoni Iraola, his staff, the players and supporters of Bournemouth to the stadium. Bournemouth’s history over the last few years is one that is very difficult not to appreciate and respect. They have more than given their all in the Premier League and they play good football. So we know what to expect and this is another tough game against an opponent with quality and experience. We didn’t get back from Milan until the early hours of Wednesday morning but when kick-off comes our aim is to be ready to go again because we know another good performance will be needed.
I’ve said before how pleased I was with the players midweek and the same goes for our fans. During the game I was totally focused on what was happening on the pitch so it was only afterwards that I was able to fully appreciate the impact our supporters had on the stadium. Seeing so many of you in the stands, spread across an entire stand, was a beautiful thing and the support we received during the game was incredible. Even though you were so badly outnumbered, you made yourselves heard and that definitely helped our performance.
We can only appreciate this kind of support, especially when it comes from a foreign country, which means our fans have to travel a long way to show their support. That is why everyone at the club was so saddened by the tragic loss of Philip Dooley while we were in Italy. Liverpool is a special club and one of the main reasons is our fans, so to lose one of them in circumstances like these is incredibly sad. It goes without saying that our condolences and thoughts are with Philip’s family and friends.”