Bournemouth vs. Liverpool
Venue: Vitality Stadium
Kick off: 5:30PM
Liverpool will attempt to return to winning ways when they take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this afternoon, but last season’s dramatic Premier League defeat will not be far from their minds.
Eddie Howe’s side managed to come from 3-1 down to claim a 4-3 triumph over the Reds, with three of the Cherries’ goals coming in the final 17 minutes of the fixture.
Much has been said about the club’s fairytale rise up the divisions over the last few seasons, but in the current 2017-18 campaign, the threat of relegation is all too real.
As it stands, the South-Coast club are just two points above the bottom three after 17 games, and that is largely down to the team’s poor start.
Howe’s men began the campaign on the back foot due to four consecutive defeats, and in that time the Cherries managed to muster up just one goal in 360 minutes of action.
Across August and September, Howe could only guide the players to one victory in seven top-flight matches, and that was a 2-1 triumph over promoted side Brighton & Hove Albion.
In fact, so far this season, Bournemouth have scooped up just four league wins, while four have ended in draws and the rest losses.
However, every superlative under the sun has probably been used to describe the Reds’ attacking prowess, but the same old problems continue to mar the club’s progress.
Recently, Jurgen Klopp’s men hit 15 goals in three games in all competitions, with Mohamed Salah leading the way as top scorer with 19 goals, 13 of which have been struck in the Premier League.
The Egyptian international is currently leading the race for the Golden Boot, while his teammates Roberto Firmino (12), Philippe Coutinho (9) and Sadio Mane (7) have also been chipping in across all competitions.
However, in the team’s last two matches – against Everton and West Bromwich Albion – the players struggled to find the back of the net, and in the end, only one goal was scored.
Like last season, Klopp’s team have had trouble trying to break down sturdy defences, and there is rarely a ‘plan B’ when their opponents fill bodies across the middle of the park.
Defensive frailties have been highlighted once again, and there is always a sense that the opposing team is in with a chance due to Liverpool’s occasional inability to kill off games.
The club are level on points with Tottenham Hotspur and sit two points adrift of fourth spot after 17 games.
Bournemouth possible XI: Begovic, Smith, Francis, Ake, Daniels, Stanislas, L Cook, Surman, Ibe, King, Defoe.
Liverpool possible XI: Mignolet, Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Coutinho, Salah, Firmino, Mane.