RECORD-breaker Mohamed Salah fired a superb hat-trick to condemn Cherries to their fifth defeat in six Premier League matches.

The mercurial forward became the first Liverpool player to score against Cherries in three straight games when he converted a controversial opener.

Salah doubled the lead soon after the restart before Steve Cook’s own goal put the game beyond the hosts.

And Egyptian star Salah completed the rout 13 minutes from time with a coolly-taken effort.

Victory enabled Liverpool to return to the top of the Premier League and equalled a club record of 17 straight league fixtures unbeaten.

Cherries boss Eddie Howe made two changes to the side which had beaten Huddersfield Town on Tuesday.

Top scorer Callum Wilson missed out due to a hamstring complaint so in came Junior Stanislas for his first start in a month.

Midfielder Andrew Surman replaced Lewis Cook, who had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against the Terriers.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recalled Salah, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum and Andrew Robertson and handed a 500th Premier League appearance to James Milner.

The visitors dominated possession in the early stages and were afforded a presentable opportunity when Nathan Ake handled Firmino’s pass just outside the box. However, Xherdan Shaqiri’s free-kick hit Charlie Daniels in the wall and looped behind.

Salah then beat the offside trap to latch on to Shaqiri’s chipped pass but directed high and wide from a tight angle.

Jefferson Lerma earned a yellow card for a late lunge on Fabinho, putting Cherries on two early bookings as Ake had also received a caution for his indiscretion.

Cherries began to make inroads midway through the half, Joshua King pulling across goal from the edge of the area.

And Howe’s side came even closer moments later. Stanislas, with his first notable contribution, dived in off the left wing and fed David Brooks, who tested Alisson at his near post.

Surman then fired over the top after Stanislas’s cross had only been half-cleared by Firmino.

But just as it appeared Cherries were getting a foothold in the game, Liverpool took the lead in controversial circumstances.

Firmino played a one-two with Salah and the Brazilian’s bouncing shot was palmed back into the danger area by Asmir Begovic, enabling Salah – who had arrived from an offside position – to tuck away the loose ball.

Back came Cherries. Fraser exchanged passes with Stanislas from a corner and the Scotland international’s arching cross to the far post dropped to Ake, who failed to make a clean connection with his left foot.

Stanislas was left with his head in his hands when he overhit a pass which might have set King free, following a lovely passage of Cherries play in the final third.

And a wayward attempted clearance from Milner put Alisson in trouble, the stopper wiping out King as he rose high to head clear. King was soon back on his feet.

Cherries’ task increased in difficulty three minutes after the break. Firmino won the ball off Steve Cook and supplied Salah, who kept his feet despite being caught on the ankle by the defender. The Egyptian then jinked away from Ake and fired firmly past Begovic – via a slight deflection off Ake.

Dutchman Ake returned swiftly to the action after clashing heads with Salah and van Dijk survived handball appeals when he miscontrolled Fraser’s cross and the ball bounced up on to his arm.

A teasing ball in from Daniels was clipped wide by King as Alisson rushed out and it was then Steve Cook’s turn to be in the wars after a tangle with Salah.

Former Roma man Salah went in search of his hat-trick and volleyed over on the spin in the 59th minute. But the referee’s assistant’s flag would have denied him anyway.

Cherries’ misery was further increased in the 68th minute. Salah switched play from right to left and Robertson worked space thanks to a one-two with Fabinho, and the Scot’s whipped cross was diverted into the far corner by the luckless Steve Cook.

It was effectively game over. Nevertheless, Cherries tried to vainly to force their way back into the match. Stanislas’s finely-struck free-kick from 25 yards did not stretch Alisson unduly, while Mousset, on as a substitute, hammered past Alisson with the flag already up.

Steve Cook’s difficult afternoon was complete when he failed to connect convincingly as he stretched to direct Adam Lallana’s pass over the top back to Begovic.

Salah seized on the loose ball, left Begovic on the deck – twice – and calmly slotted past the advancing Ake.

In the closing stages, Daniels fizzed narrowly over the bar from distance but Liverpool already had the game wrapped up.

MATCH STATS

Cherries (4-4-1-1): Begovic; Francis, S Cook, Ake, Daniels (Rico, 83); Brooks (Mousset, 65), Surman, Lerma, Stanislas (Mings, 83); Fraser; King.

Unused subs: Pugh, Ibe, Defoe, Boruc (g/k).

Booked: Ake, Lerma.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Milner, van Dijk, Matip, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Keita (Lallana, 65); Shaqiri (Mane, 65), Salah, Firmino (Henderson, 81).

Unused subs: Alexander-Arnold, Origi, Sturridge, Mignolet (g/k).

Booked: Fabinho.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).

Attendance: 10,752.