Liverpool will take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, eager to build on the performance against Marseille and return to winning ways in the Premier League.
Liverpool have drawn their last four Premier League matches, and they need to start picking up points if they want to finish in the UEFA Champions League positions, making the game vs Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium all the more crucial.
The Reds have endured a mediocre season by their standards, and it remains to be seen whether they can bounce back strongly. However, Arne Slot’s men managed to pick up a comprehensive victory over Marseille in the UEFA Champions League earlier this week, which will have given them a confidence boost.
Meanwhile, the Cherries are without a win in five of their last six matches in all competitions. Andoni Iraola’s men have dropped to 15th in the Premier League table after a spectacular start to the 2025/26 season, and they will look to pull off an upset here.
Bournemouth were spirited in the reverse fixture but fell to a 4-2 defeat on the opening night. It will be interesting to see if they can take advantage of Liverpool’s inconsistencies and grind out a positive result here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola will be without Justin Kluivert (knee), Ben Gannon-Doak (hamstring), Tyler Adams (knee), Matai Akinmboni (knock), Julio Soler (knock), Willian Dennis (ankle), David Brooks (ankle), Marcus Tavernier (thigh), and Enes Unal (groin) this weekend.
Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Djordje Petrovic in goal. Adam Smith and Adrien Truffert will start as the two full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Liverpool on the counter. Bafode Diakite will start alongside Marcos Senesi at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alex Scott will start alongside Lewis Cook in the double pivot. They will look to protect the team defensively and keep things compact in the middle of the pitch.
Amine Adli will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Jimenez will start on the flanks, adding goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Evanilson will lead the line for Bournemouth vs Liverpool on Saturday.
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Petrovic, Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Jimenez, Adli, Kroupi; Evanilson
Liverpool
The away team will be without Giovanni Leoni (knee), Wataru Endo (knee), Conor Bradley (knee), and Alexander Isak (fracture). Liverpool are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Bournemouth, with Alisson Becker in goal.
Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will form the central defensive partnership for the away side.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch will start alongside Dominik Szoboszlai in the double pivot, aiming to add control and composure to the team. Alexis Mac Allister will look to create opportunities for teammates in the final third.
Finally, Hugo Ekitike will spearhead the Liverpool attack vs Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening, with Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah on either side of him. So, Cody Gakpo will be a backup option on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Salah, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike
Key Stats
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six matches against Bournemouth. 22 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Bournemouth have won just one of their last 13 Premier League games (D6 L6), beating Tottenham 3-2 earlier this month. Since the start of this run in November, only Wolves (6) and Burnley (4) have earned fewer points than Bournemouth (9), with the Cherries conceding more goals than any other side (30).
- Liverpool have failed to score in four different Premier League games this season, as many as in the 2023/24 (3) and 2024/25 (1) campaigns combined.
- Bournemouth have lost 10 of their last 11 Premier League games against the reigning champions, with the exception being a 2-1 home win against Manchester City last season. The Cherries had previously won three of their first six against the reigning champions (D1 L2).
Player to Watch
Florian Wirtz
The German attacking midfielder is our key player to watch out for. Wirtz has been very impressive in recent matches, and he will look to create openings for his teammates here. The hosts have been quite vulnerable defensively, and Wirtz is likely to get plenty of time and space to operate here.
He could make a defining impact in the final third. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well. Liverpool will need him to step up in the final third if they want to grind out all three points. However, his form has compelled us to pick the former Bayer Leverkusen talisman as a top FPL captaincy candidate for Gameweek 23.
Prediction
Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool will be desperate for a victory here, and there is no doubt that they have a better team. It will be interesting to see if they can pick up all three points here. The hosts have been quite poor at the back, and they will struggle to contain the home team.
Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet here, but Bournemouth’s defence is likely to let them down. A win for the away team is on the cards this week. The Hard Tackle predicts a crucial 2-1 win for Arne Slot and his charges.
