Preview: Liverpool vs. Bournemouth – team updates, prediction and lineups

Returning to Merseyside after a strong start in the Champions League, Liverpool will host Bournemouth in a Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon.

The Reds achieved a comeback victory against AC Milan with a 3-1 win, while Bournemouth has had a week to reflect on their narrow 1-0 loss to Chelsea.

Match preview:

Before facing Milan, Arne Slot noted that his birthday celebrations would take a backseat, but he could celebrate later after his team’s impressive turnaround. Liverpool briefly trailed due to a Christian Pulisic goal, but headers from Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate shifted momentum before Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the win.

While not as dramatic as Istanbul 2005, the victory against Milan was the response needed after last weekend’s disappointment against Nottingham Forest, where they suffered a loss due to a stunning Callum Hudson-Odoi goal, marking Slot’s first defeat.

Currently, Liverpool holds the fourth and final Champions League spot, just one point behind Arsenal and Newcastle United, and two points shy of perfect Manchester City, sharing the league’s best defensive record with Arsenal.

Both Liverpool and Bournemouth have faced similar challenges with late 1-0 home losses. Bournemouth could have claimed victory against a lackluster Chelsea but were denied by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who saved a penalty he initially gave away. Chelsea’s substitutes ultimately secured a late winner, ending Bournemouth’s unbeaten start to the season.

Had Andoni Iraola’s team held on, they would have started the Premier League season without a loss for the first time ever. Now with only one win—against Everton—Bournemouth could join 2012 Arsenal and 2021 Manchester City as the third team to win back-to-back away games against both Merseyside clubs.

However, Bournemouth lost all three matches against Liverpool last season, including a 3-1 win for the Reds at Anfield and a 4-0 victory on the South Coast.

Team News

New signing Federico Chiesa was not ready for his debut against Manchester United or Nottingham Forest but made an appearance against Milan and is now in contention for a start. With Harvey Elliott the only injury concern, Slot is expected to field a strong team before rotating for the EFL Cup tie against West Ham United.

Andrew Robertson will return to left-back, displacing Kostas Tsimikas, and Luis Diaz is set to start, pushing Cody Gakpo to the bench despite his assist against Milan.

For Bournemouth, Iraola welcomes back on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was ineligible against his parent club. He will replace Mark Travers, who performed well in Kepa’s absence. The Cherries will miss Tyler Adams (back) and *Dango Ouattara* (ankle), while Evanilson faces competition for his spot after struggling in recent matches.

Possible lineups:

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez

Bournemouth: Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Christie, Cook; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Unal

Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Bournemouth

Aside from Hudson-Odoi’s stunning goal last week, Liverpool’s defensive strength has been a hallmark this season. Following a strong performance at San Siro, they are expected to deliver another solid showing at home. While Bournemouth has kept their matches competitive, it seems unlikely they will leave Anfield with points.