A struggling Liverpool side will be looking to bounce back from their defeat at Manchester United when they host the league’s new boys Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s men, who started the new season with two draws on the trot against Fulham and Crystal Palace, were handed a 2-1 defeat on their travels to Old Trafford earlier this week with Liverpool now sitting in 16th in the table after a stuttering set of displays from their first three games.
Mohamed Salah’s late strike in the derby clash against Manchester United could not salvage a draw for the Merseysiders who have endured a horrid injury crisis of late as Naby Keita becomes the latest player to join the recovery table with a muscle issue.
Liverpool already trail early leaders Arsenal by seven points three games into the new Premier League campaign and Klopp would be counting on his players to return to much-needed winning ways to get their season back on track with the newly promoted Bournemouth their next opponenents.
Scott Parker’s Cherries have claimed three points from their opening three fixtures and were second best to Manchester City and Arsenal in their previous two outings, conceding seven times across the process.
WHEN & WHERE?
Focus turns to Saturday 👊 #LIVBOU pic.twitter.com/JbS5J7NtUn
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 24, 2022
Date: Saturday 27 August 2022
Time: 3 PM GMT
Venue: Anfield
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool will again be frontman Darwin Nunez due to his red card against Palace as the Uruguayan striker serves the second of his three-game suspension.
Midfielder Naby Keita faces a further spell on the sidelines with a muscle injury which means that he joins the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ibrahima Konate and Calvin Ramsay on the sidelines.
Brazil international Fabinho started the United clash on the bench but could push for a recall into the XI with Klopp bereft of quality names in the heart of the midfield.
KEY BATTLE
Roberto Firmino vs Dominic Solanke
It is now or never for the Anfield fan favourite Roberto Firmino to shake off his sluggishness in the final third and get back to his brilliant best at a time when his side are about to hit the panic button.
Nunez’s suspension opens the door for Firmino to lead the line once again for the home side Liverpool and the Brazilian will be hoping to return to his usual prolific self in front of the goal and provide the firepower along with attacking partners Mo Salah and Luis Diaz.
For the visitors Bournemouth, former Liverpool boy Dominic Solanke could pose a threat for an under-fire Liverpool backline that has not looked solid as before with Joel Matip out injured and the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk enduring a rough start to the new season.
MATCH PREDICTION
We expect Liverpool to secure the three points up for grabs against a Bournemouth side which looks much weaker on paper and are unlikely to spoil Liverpool’s plans of their first win of the campaign.
Liverpool 2-0 Bournemouth
