Bournemouth Vs Liverpool Match Preview (1 Viewer)

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Liverpool has the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table as they head south to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this Sunday.

Both teams had a two-week break following their successful outings in the FA Cup. Liverpool secured a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the third round, while Bournemouth staged an impressive comeback to defeat Queens Park Rangers 3-2.

Bournemouth had been in superb form, collecting 19 points from 21 in a seven-game winning streak before a 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on New Year's Eve interrupted their run. Despite the setback, they regained their scoring touch in the FA Cup clash with QPR.

Bournemouth, currently in 12th place, is looking to avoid consecutive Premier League losses for the first time since October. They welcome Liverpool to the Vitality Stadium, three points below Wolverhampton Wanderers with a game in hand.

However, Bournemouth has struggled against teams starting the day at the top of the table, losing all nine of their Premier League games in such situations and scoring only six goals in those matches.

Liverpool, on the other hand, has been in fine form. They did not need a comeback against Arsenal in the FA Cup, but in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham, they came from behind after an uncharacteristic Virgil van Dijk error led to Willian's opening goal. With Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo making impactful contributions, Liverpool secured a comeback win.

Coming off back-to-back knockout successes, Liverpool ends a 20-day Premier League hiatus this weekend, aiming to add more points after their 4-2 victory against Newcastle United on New Year's Day.

With Aston Villa and Manchester City not in action, a win for Liverpool would temporarily put them five points clear at the top. The Reds have been successful in their last three Premier League away games, and they have already avenged last year's loss to Bournemouth with wins in August and the EFL Cup last month.

INJURIES & SUSPENSION​

In Bournemouth's New Year's Eve defeat to Spurs, center-back Marcos Senesi received his fifth caution of the 2023-24 Premier League season, rendering him unavailable for the upcoming match against Liverpool due to suspension. Chris Mepham is expected to fill in for him.

Defender Lloyd Kelly, reportedly a target for Liverpool, might return from a thigh issue. However, Tyler Adams remains sidelined with a similar problem, and Adam Smith (muscle), Milos Kerkez (foot), Ryan Fredericks (calf), Darren Randolph (illness), Dango Ouattara (on international duty), and Antoine Semenyo (on international duty) will also miss the clash against Liverpool.

Former Liverpool player Dominic Solanke is likely to recover from the setback that kept him out of the FA Cup, but Joe Rothwell and Hamed Traore have departed on loan to Southampton and Napoli, respectively.

On the Liverpool side, while Bournemouth may welcome back a left-back, Liverpool is still without their two senior options in that position, with Andrew Robertson (shoulder) and Kostas Tsimikas (collarbone) unavailable. Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to miss a few weeks due to a knee issue suffered in the FA Cup against Arsenal.

In addition, Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Ben Doak (knee), Thiago Alcantara (hip), and Joel Matip (knee) are receiving medical attention. Liverpool is also dealing with the absence of Wataru Endo (Japan) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt), with Salah having a concerning injury scare during the Africa Cup of Nations clash with Ghana.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is not optimistic about Dominik Szoboszlai's (thigh) return for Sunday's game. Consequently, Conor Bradley is poised to make his full Premier League debut at right-back.

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS​

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Neto; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Mepham, Kerkez; Christie, Cook; Tavernier, Billing, Kluivert; Solanke

Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Jones, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Jota, Nunez, Diaz

EXPERT PREDICTION​

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Bournemouth 2-4 Liverpool

Bournemouth's dismal track record against teams leading the Premier League table paints a bleak picture. Despite this, Iraola's goal-hungry team shouldn't be easily dismantled by a Liverpool side dealing with numerous absences, especially in the wide areas.

Nevertheless, Klopp's team has displayed remarkable resilience throughout this season. Given Bournemouth's apparent vulnerability in defense, we are confident that Liverpool can secure a fifth consecutive victory and leave with a five-point lead at the top when they return to Merseyside.