Liverpool will have the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points this Sunday as they travel down to Bournemouth.
The Reds return to Premier League action for the first time in nearly three weeks following their 4-2 victory over Newcastle on New Year’s Day.
Man City closed the gap at the top of the table down to two points last weekend winning at St. James’ Park, but Klopp’s side can restore their five-point lead with a victory at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth will however be a challenge, winning six of their last seven in all competitions, with former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke firing on all cylinders with 13 goals in all competitions this season.
The former Liverpool striker was named Premier League Player of the Month for December, whose form has helped Bournemouth climb the table to 12th following a difficult start for the Cherries.
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Liverpool will be without both Mohammed Salah and Wataru Endo as they compete in AFCON and the Asian Cup, whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the game with a knee injury. Dominik Szoboszlai also missed training yesterday (Wednesday), however, could still be in contention to feature.
Liverpool’s record against Bournemouth this season has been perfect, with Klopp’s side winning 3-1 at Anfield in August and a 2-1 Carabao Cup win in November at the Vitality.
Klopp’s side have developed a habit of coming from behind this season to win games, which they had to do in the reverse fixture in August, with Klopp recently saying: “To turn around a game, first and foremost you need quality; to turn a game around you obviously need belief. That’s the main thing and summing up everything beyond that is mentality.”
However, their last league encounter at Bournemouth in March last year saw Klopp’s side lose 1-0, with Salah memorably missing a penalty in a disappointing performance.
But Liverpool are a different side this season following a difficult 22/23 campaign, with only Man City scoring more than their 43 goals, and nobody conceding less than the Reds’ total of just 18.
Klopp’s side will look to make it five wins in a row in all competitions as they travel down south to Bournemouth with kick-off at 4:30pm on Sunday.
Predicted Lineup
Injuries continue to restrict what the boss can choose from here but with both Robertson and Tsimikas nearing a return as well as Alexander-Arnold eyeing a swift comeback, Klopp will know simply getting through this game unscathed with all three points will suffice and as such, picking the strongest, and most attack-minded, available 11, particularly following a break is a must.
XI: Alisson, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Mac Allister, Gakpo, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Diaz.
This side will leave the likes of Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah and Ryan Gravenberch in reserve should they be required, although with the four frontline forwards on the pitch from the off, that firepower is hopefully enough to get the job done. The fitness of Szoboszlai could pose a selection headache for the manager, although it’s unlikely the Hungarian will be ready to start.
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On paper, these are the kind of fixtures that need to be won when challenging for league titles, but with no Salah or Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool’s right-hand side has been weakened significantly, losing arguably the two most creative players in the team. Klopp will have to look elsewhere for a supply of goals, with the likes of Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo all needing to step up in Salah’s absence.
All eyes will also be on Conor Bradley who will most likely fill in at right back following his impressive performance against Fulham last week. This could pose more of a challenge for the youngster, however, with Van Dijk and Konate alongside him at the back, I’m sure the youngster will be full of confidence.
It’s no secret Bournemouth have been on very good form as of late, making this a potential banana skin for Liverpool to slip up. But on paper, the Reds should still have more than enough to get past Andoni Iraola’s side. It’s a case of being professional and getting the job done by any means necessary, but a repeat of the 9-0 in 2022 would certainly be nice!
Prediction: Bournemouth 0-2 Liverpool
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