The Reds have been depleted after losing Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Fabinho, captain Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino. However, Bournemouth are not going to give the club’s fans a headache while they continue to put pressure on the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), owners of the club, to do better in the ongoing transfer window.
On the other hand, flashes of the drubbing at Anfield last season will keep most AFC Bournemouth fans up until they travel to Merseyside on 19 August to face Liverpool again.
Bournemouth under Scott Parker thought they could pull an upset at Anfield but almost as soon as the first blast of the whistle was sounded, the embarrassment began. A few missed chances from Mohamed Salah, who failed to find the back of the net when everyone and their siblings did, as well as a few good defensive blocks and some save from the Cherries’ goalkeeper at the time, Mark Travers, prevented the scoreline from crossing into double figures.
9-0 was the final score at full time and Parker was shown the door immediately. Never had the Cherries been that embarrassed.
Now, Liverpool vs Bournemouth at Anfield is about to happen again. This time, Liverpool are depleted but they have secured the services of some players who every team in the world will give an arm and a leg to have in their ranks.
Bournemouth have done some good business and brought in a few players of their own, having proven that they can compete in the top flight of English football. They also have signed one of the most exciting coaches from Spain’s La Liga, Andoni Iraola.
The 41-year-old is a rookie compared to Jürgen Klopp but LaLiga fans are happy that he is not there to terrorize their teams anymore. That brand of football is what Bournemouth will be playing this season and though it may take some time for it to yield results, there is no bigger test for the Spaniard than Liverpool.
But the lingering memory of Parker’s Bournemouth will remain fresh in Cherries fans leading up to the game, no matter the promise that Iraola’s style holds.
Both teams will be going into the match on the back of 1-1 draws in their opening fixture as well, making it a clean slate. Each team has their first three points of the season up for grabs.
The Premier League is indeed back and better.
Match Tickets
Liverpool vs AFC Bournemouth will do battle at Anfield on Saturday 19 August 2023 at 3 PM. It is one of three mid-afternoon matches on that day but subscribers of Sky Sports will be able to view it live. It will also be broadcast all over the world on the Premier League’s various broadcast partners.
Tickets to the game have already gone live on each team’s website. As is normal, home fans will have the advantage of grabbing more Liverpool vs AFC Bournemouth tickets than away fans, due to how limited away tickets usually are in league and cup football.
This is where ticket resellers come in as a number of fans will not be able to attend the games.
Both Liverpool tickets and AFC Bournemouth tickets will be selling fast which means the earlier the better for any fans who want to be at Anfield live. However, this match will be special for Bournemouth fans who got a glimpse of the football that Iraola is trying to instill in the club.
Against an opponent a little further down the power rankings like West Ham United, it may have yielded results and the errors may not have been taken to heart. Against a team like Liverpool, however, the errors will become pronounced. The positives will also be more pronounced and this is what many Bournemouth fans will be paying to see.
Team news
Liverpool are still locked in a transfer battle with Chelsea over Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Both clubs, who played out an entertaining opening day match on Sunday 13 August 2023, have their sights set on one or both of those players.
As the saga continues, Klopp will have to turn to Liverpool’s academy like he did against Chelsea.
Aside from Thiago who had surgery for a hip injury he suffered in May just before the end of the 2022/23 season, Klopp is not dealing with any injuries or fitness issues. This means that he will have the squad with which he faced Chelsea available to welcome – and possibly beat – Bournemouth.
The Cherries are also not facing any injury issues ahead of their clash with Liverpool at Anfield. They played a very physical game with West Ham at the Vitality Stadium but came out unscathed and with a point. Now Iraola will be preparing for another physical battle with Liverpool at Anfield.
The transfer window is still on and new players could land at both clubs in time for their match. Liverpool’s main focus remains either Caicedo or Lavia, with one more midfield addition being eyed. Bournemouth are linked to Southampton striker Che Adams alongside Crystal Palace. They are also linked to German international Robin Gosens.
It remains to be seen what squad changes will occur in each team before then.
Lineups
Liverpool will most likely go with the lineup they went with against Chelsea, with a few tweaks: Darwin Nuňez for Diogo Jota and Harvey Elliot in for Cody Gakpo.
Luis Diaz and Mo Salah are the new wing partnership as Klopp seeks to replicate the chemistry that Sadio Mané had with the Egyptian. This means Jota, Gakpo and Nuňez will constantly be rotated in front until the German finds the player who works best with Diaz and Salah – the new Bobby Firmino.
Bournemouth will also be going into the game with the same squad with which they faced West Ham. The XI that started that match happens to be their strongest starting XI on paper and it will be foolish of Iraola to change it when going up the beanstalk to tackle giants like Liverpool in their castle in the sky.
One possibility exists for Iraola, however: giving Justin Kluivert his first official start. The Dutch forward is eager to make a home for himself after spending a big chunk of his young career on the road. He had a good cameo against West Ham and his direct running could be a weapon to unleash against Liverpool from the start.
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szobszlai, Mac Allister, Elliot; Salah, Nuňez, Diaz
AFC Bournemouth: Neto; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Billing, Rothwell; Brooks, Christie, Anthony; Solanke
Prediction
Liverpool have taken a point from Stamford Bridge, keeping a record which started in the coronavirus pandemic era. That boost will mean something as they welcome a team who they are very comfortable playing against.
This match will be a clean sweep for the Reds but Iraola is going to make it hard for them, unlike Parker. Bournemouth will create a few chances of their own and also come close to scoring on occasion. Liverpool will have to rely on brilliant defending as well as great goalkeeping from Alisson Becker to keep their first clean sheet of the season.
The game will be end to end at some point but the midfield of Liverpool will eventually overpower that of Bournemouth and settle the game in favour of the Reds.
Salah was also seen sulking at not being able to get on the scoresheet for the first time on opening day since he joined Liverpool. He will finally get off the mark in this game.
Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth
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