In the previous week, Liverpool managed a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, with some considering them lucky, while Bournemouth held West Ham United to the same scoreline in a match with similar outcomes on the South Coast. Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, warmly greeted Chelsea's Mauricio Pochettino as he made his return to the touchline at Stamford Bridge last weekend. However, Klopp aimed to give a tougher welcome to his counterpart as they faced off in the opening match.
A swift start from Liverpool resulted in Luis Diaz slotting home the opening goal, courtesy of a perfectly-weighted pass from Mohamed Salah. Nevertheless, Chelsea's debutant Axel Disasi capitalized on a defensive lapse by Klopp's team to level the score before halftime.
Despite Salah's streak of scoring in every Premier League opening-day fixture since 2017 coming to an end, Liverpool, with only 35% ball possession, managed to secure a respectable point during their visit to West London.
The absence of a number six was evident in Klopp's attack-focused Liverpool side, as Chelsea managed to interfere with Liverpool's intended transfers for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Yet, Liverpool's surprise move for Wataru Endo from Stuttgart might soon be finalized.
In the 2022-23 Premier League season's final home match, Liverpool also settled for a 1-1 draw, which ended their Champions League aspirations, as Aston Villa emerged victorious.
However, Liverpool has maintained an unbeaten streak in 12 top-flight matches at Anfield. Now, facing Bournemouth, Andoni Iraola, the recently appointed Cherries manager, will be put to the test.
Iraola's team experienced a sequence of win-loss-win-loss results in pre-season matches. Their season opener against West Ham United saw them concede the first goal to Jarrod Bowen, but ex-Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke equalized for Bournemouth just eight minutes before the match concluded.
This result put an end to Bournemouth's four-game losing streak from the end of the 2022-23 season under their former manager Gary O'Neil. Iraola was candid about his halftime criticism of his team's sluggishness but commended their more direct approach in the second half. They finished the match with 63% possession.
Solanke's goal broke a three-game Premier League goal drought for Bournemouth, a team that clinched victory in three of their final five away games in the previous term, including an exhilarating 3-2 win against Tottenham Hotspur. However, their memories of the past trip to Anfield are likely to be less pleasant.
Last year, Liverpool marked a historic 9-0 victory, sharing the record for the Premier League's biggest-ever win. Nonetheless, Bournemouth managed to vindicate themselves with a 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium a few months later. As the second leg of this redemption mission approaches on Saturday, Iraola faces a significant challenge.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Liverpool's midfield puzzle is further complicated by the absence of Thiago Alcantara (hip) and Stefan Bajcetic (adductor), both of whom are gradually recovering from the injuries that sidelined them at the close of the 2022-23 season.Both players are undergoing rigorous training sessions, but it's anticipated that Saturday's match will come too early for their return. Additionally, Wataru Endo, who was only confirmed as a new signing on Friday afternoon, is unlikely to be thrust into action immediately.
Given Curtis Jones's reported ankle injury, Cody Gakpo is likely to retain his position, while Darwin Nunez, who came tantalizingly close to securing a victory for Liverpool, might relegate Diogo Jota to the bench.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth's manager Iraola saw center-back Marcos Senesi exit with an injury 60 minutes into last week's draw with West Ham. However, Iraola expressed confidence that Senesi's issue was nothing more than cramp.
The visiting team is already dealing with the absences of Alex Scott (knee), Dango Ouattara (ankle), Ryan Fredericks (calf), Marcus Tavernier (unspecified), Adam Smith (muscle), and Lewis Cook (hip) for their visit to Anfield. Nevertheless, Lloyd Kelly, who has participated in a few training sessions, might be fit to play a role on Saturday.
In terms of lineup changes, Jaidon Anthony might make way for Justin Kluivert on the left this week, although Antoine Semenyo's contribution to Dominic Solanke's equalizer is unlikely to earn him a starting position over the former Liverpool player.
POSSIBLE LINE UPS
Liverpool possible starting lineup:Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz; Nunez
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Neto; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Billing, Rothwell; Brooks, Christie, Kluivert; Solanke
EXPERT PREDICTION
Liverpool 4-1 Bournemouth
Bournemouth is still getting used to Iraola's coaching, but they showed some good signs in their tie with West Ham. It's almost certain that they won't have a repeat of last year's big loss in this game.
Even though Liverpool needs to improve their defense in midfield, hoping they won't concede any goals might be a bit too hopeful. But still, Klopp's team is likely to win their first game of the season against Bournemouth, who have some players dealing with injuries.
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