Steve Cook hailed Bournemouth’s remarkable comeback victory over Liverpool as the best day in the history of the south-coast club.
The defender scored one of three Bournemouth goals in the final 14 minutes of a thrilling encounter at the Vitality Stadium, which saw the Cherries record an unforgettable 4-3 win to dent the title charge of their visitors.
🙌#afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/d0jHpQC2Um
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) December 4, 2016
Liverpool looked on course to move within a point of leaders Chelsea as goals from Sadio Mane and Divock Origi had them cruising at half-time.
And, even after Callum Wilson tucked home a penalty to make it 2-1, Emre Can struck a brilliant third to re-establish Liverpool’s lead – only for Jurgen Klopp’s side to crumble.
Bournemouth substitute Ryan Fraser, having already won his side’s spot-kick, scored his first Premier League goal and then lofted in a cross which Cook controlled and finished superbly to make it 3-3. Then, when Cook fired in a shot in stoppage-time which Loris Karius could only fumble, Nathan Ake was on hand to bundle home a stoppage-time winner.
It was Bournemouth’s first ever victory over Liverpool and, despite beating Manchester United last season and with promotions in their recent past, Cook does not believe it has ever been better for the Cherries.
What a day! I think the best 🍒🍒
— Steve Cook (@SteveCook28) December 4, 2016
Asked if it was the top day in the club’s history, the defender replied: "By a country mile. Especially against a side like Liverpool. We’ve never beaten them, never come close to beating them.
"A side with that much history. It’s definitely the best result I’ve been involved in, in football."
Cook has a healthy goalscoring record for a defender but his touch and finish was more akin to the league’s deadliest strikers.
Despite that, the 25-year-old was more pleased with Ake’s winner – as the on-loan Chelsea man did his parent club a huge favour with his late heroics.
"It was very emotional, very emotional. I think I’m an emotional guy anyway," Cook said.
"I was just delighted to score, but when I had scored and was running back I was just hoping we were going to nick the draw.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d win it. So I’d say the fourth goal meant a lot more to me than my goal.
"It was crazy and I think the celebrations showed that.
"Sometimes you can smell blood and I think mentally they had gone a little bit. At 3-1 up they probably thought they’d won the game, which is very unlike a Jurgen Klopp side.
"We need to kick on, have a good week’s training. We have a very tricky game next week at Burnley. Hopefully we can build on this and keep climbing."
It was a first defeat in 15 games for Klopp’s side and only their second in the Premier League this season.
The manner of the loss may yet weigh heavy on the Reds heading into the festive period, but skipper Jordan Henderson is keen to move on.
"That’s the one thing you’ve got to do: try and learn from it as best you can and use it for the next game," he told the club’s official website.
"Obviously we’ll be disappointed for the next couple of days but we’ll get back on the training pitch, get back working hard, and focus on the next game.
"We’ve been brilliant so far this season but today we weren’t at our best and we were punished.
"You’ve got to give credit to Bournemouth, they kept going right until the end but we’ve got to learn from it quickly, move on and make sure we’re right at it in the next game."
With Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal all winning in style over the weekend, the defeat has proved costly in the short term, but Henderson says he is not interested in what other clubs are doing.
"I don’t really look at that to be honest," added the England international.
"I’ve said many a time before, we concentrate on ourselves. If you’re concentrating on other teams then you’re not focused on what you need to do.
"It’s bitterly disappointing today, it’s hard to explain, but we just have to move on as best we can and put this one behind us."
