Bournemouth vs Liverpool Preview – Prediction, how to watch & potential line-ups

Liverpool will be looking to build on last weekend’s historic feat when they trade tackles with relegation-threatened Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in Saturday’s lunchtime showdown.

After managing just one win in their last 11 games, Bournemouth were on the verge of claiming a shocking win over Arsenal last time out.

However, despite racing to a two-goal lead after scoring on either side of halftime, the Cherries were on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline at full-time following a late resurgence by the table toppers.

Having enjoyed a honeymoon period in his early days as Bournemouth manager, Gary O’Neil’s lucky charm seems to have faded, with his side heading closer to relegation with every passing matchday. 

Bournemouth won more points in their first six league games under O’Neil after embarking on an impressive unbeaten run (10 – W2, D4) than they have in their subsequent 15 (8 – W2, D2, L11).

Since their first league defeat under O’Neil in October, the Cherries have lost more league games than any other side in the division (11). 

It is one win in 12 for O’Neil’s troubled side, who are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, and their upcoming opponents do not offer much hope for the start of a revival.

Jurgen Klopp seems to have reinvented his Liverpool side one too many times in what has been a topsy-turvy campaign.

But the Reds were running on top fuel when they swatted aside rivals Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield last weekend.

Cody Gakpo, who began the goal fest, grabbed a brace along with Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez before Roberto Firmino joined the party off the bench to seal the game, handing United their biggest defeat in the competition’s history.

Liverpool are now firmly in contention for a place in the top four, especially with the chasing pack faltering, and a trip to the league’s bottom side presents the Reds with a golden opportunity to record three consecutive wins for the first time this year.

Match Preview

Bournemouth

The odds are firmly stacked against O’Neil’s side heading into this weekend’s encounter, especially after suffering a 9-0 humiliation in the reverse fixture that marked the end of Scott Parker’s reign.

Bournemouth have won just one of their 11 league meetings with Saturday’s opponents (D1, L9). They have also lost the last seven meetings with Liverpool in a row by an aggregate score of 28-1.

The defeat to Arsenal was the third time Bournemouth have lost a league game in which they have had a two-goal lead this season (vs Tottenham Hotspur in October and Leeds United in November) – the most by a side in a single campaign in the competition. 

They have lost 17 points from winning positions in the league this term, with only Leicester City losing more (19).

Liverpool

With confidence levels over the roof following their emphatic win over United last time out, a lowly Bournemouth should not prove too hard to overcome for the buzzing Reds, who have their eyes firmly set on a place in the top four.

However, Liverpool’s form against newly promoted sides this term does not offer encouraging signs, having drawn 2-2 at Fulham and lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest.

Only in 2010-11 (L3) and 2003-04 (D2, L1) have they failed to win away against all three promoted clubs in a single Premier League campaign.

Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in their last five league games, as many as they had in their previous 24 combined. They last had a longer run of games without conceding between December 2019 and January 2020 (7).

Bournemouth vs Liverpool Potential Line-ups

Bournemouth (5-4-1): Neto; Jordan Zemura, Marcos Senesi, Jack Stephens, Chris Mepham, Adam Smith; Antoine Semenyo, Philip Billing, Joe Rothwell, Dango Ouattara; Dominic Solanke.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Harvey Elliot, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson; Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo.

How to Watch?

Bournemouth vs Liverpool, alongside all other fixtures in England’s top flight, is available to watch online via live Premier League streams.

Bournemouth vs Liverpool Prediction

The humbling at Anfield saw a change in managers, but even at that, Bournemouth have not done enough to suggest they can pull off an improbable feat over Liverpool.

History is poised to repeat itself, but the Cherries will hope not with the same scoreline.

Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool