Perhaps the most perverse thing about it all here was that some actually expected it to go differently for Liverpool.
After one of the all-time performances and results against Manchester United last week - a mauling so historic that it rewrote the record books - it was assumed by many, with justifiable conviction, that the Reds had injected plenty of confidence and belief to continue their timely upturn.
Despite a bruising opening few weeks of 2023, a five-game unbeaten run that climaxed against their fierce arch-rivals last weekend had convinced enough people that this Liverpool team was over the worst, that those aberrations at Wolves and Brentford and Brighton were consigned to an ugly chapter of a forgettable campaign that was at least set to end on a happier, more welcome note. Not so.
AS IT HAPPENED: Bournemouth vs Liverpool final score, goals and match highlights
PLAYER RATINGS: Mohamed Salah and Fabinho bad in Bournemouth shocker
That 7-0 humiliation of United was merely a mirage. Liverpool are still trapped in this nightmare. Just three away wins all season was the statistic that was more indicative of how it would play out in this tiny corner of the south coast. It's now eight defeats for the campaign and the most galling thing about that shocking stat is the identity of those who have shrugged aside Jurgen Klopp's team.
This isn't a group of players who are struggling to keep pace when pitted directly against their fellow giants. Apart from United and Arsenal in the early weeks, Liverpool have not fallen to anyone who they would consider their equal.
No, the miserable losses have to come to Brentford and to Wolves; to Brighton and Nottingham Forest; to Leeds and now Bournemouth: a side who appeared destined for relegation prior to kick-off at the Vitality on Saturday.
It begs the question of just how bad it may get in the Bernabeu on Wednesday night at Real Madrid? It could very well be Liverpool's last Champions League game for some time if this is the standard between now and the end of the season.
A run that saw them pick up 13 points from the last 15 available finally had Liverpool looking like a semi-serious team once more, but the Reds will have to take their medicine in the coming days. They were so far off the pace that their attitude has to be questioned. It’s rarely been an accusation you can level at Klopp’s team but it was glaring here. Did they simply believe they only had to turn up?
Liverpool will bristle at those suggestions but if the absence of the right attitude is harsh, there can be few complaints about a dearth of quality. They never got going and looked less likely to score the more the game went on.
Bournemouth had their winner before the half-hour mark when the excellent Dango Ouattara sent in a low cross that was turned home by Philip Billing to end the Reds' impressive five-game run without conceding a goal.
Liverpool's best chance of the half fell for Virgil van Dijk who glanced a header wide when unmarked inside the area. That came after Cody Gakpo had scored when in an offside position and the Reds were later awarded a first penalty in 11 months when substitute Diogo Jota's header was handled by Adam Smith. Mohamed Salah sent the effort wide and Liverpool's fate was sealed there and then.
The sight of someone who resembled Salah listlessly flicking the ball into the penalty area where no-one was waiting when three other forwards were on the pitch summed it all up. The ball in was poor but the fact was his colleagues were even more culpable for not being anywhere near a threatening area when a goal was desperately needed.
Bournemouth, a team dispatched 9-0 at Anfield in August, looked set to comfortably withstand their visitors’ efforts right into next week. How was it this easy for the relegation-threatened Cherries?
So Liverpool head to one of the cathedrals of world football next needing to do the impossible as they aim to turn around their 5-2 deficit against the current champions of Europe. Having failed to have completed the very possible here in their tune-up, it’s fair to suggest that expectations are not high.
There’s not much point watching Match of the Day on Saturday night now, right?
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