Bournemouth vs. Liverpool: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Andoni Iraola returns to his old stomping ground when Liverpool journey to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday.

It’s the Spaniard’s first trip back to the Vitality Stadium since the end of his three-year stint with the Cherries, who he helped qualify for the Europa League last season. They opened their first-ever continental campaign with victory away at Real Sociedad on Thursday, meaning new boss Marco Rose has lost just one of six matches in charge.

Having said that, Bournemouth remain winless in the Premier League after an opening round defeat was followed by three successive draws. Liverpool have also endured three frustrating stalemates, but Iraola was at least able to clinch victory away at Ipswich Town two weeks ago.

Pressure is on the Reds to deliver victory on the south coast, and their Carabao Cup third round win over Tottenham Hotspur midweek will have boosted morale. Terrific goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and, in particular, Dominik Szoboszlai secured progression and extended the club’s unbeaten record under Iraola.

Bournemouth vs. Liverpool Score Prediction

Another Stalemate for the Reds

Andoni Iraola with his arms outstretched. — Andoni Iraola is still finding his feet on Merseyside. | Matt McNulty/Getty Images

There have been unquestionable teething problems early in Iraola’s reign as longstanding issues continue to undermine Liverpool’s progress. Gaping holes in midfield have been regularly exploited, most notably when defending counter attacks, and players are still getting up to speed with their new manager’s demand for intensity.

Liverpool have struggled defensively as a result, with back-to-back Premier League clean sheets against limited opposition having done little to raise confidence levels.

Bournemouth, who are acutely aware of Iraola’s high-pressing philosophy, will aim to take advantage with the attacking weapons at their disposal. Alex Scott enters the fixture in terrific form as a deep-lying creator, while Rayan, Marcus Tavernier, Evanilson and Justin Kluivert can all cause major issues.

The major issue for Bournemouth has been surrendering leads. All four of their Premier League matches have seen them pegged back from winning positions, with three of their outings culminating in the concession of late goals.

Neither side can be trusted to produce an error-free performance at the Vitality, potentially leading to a high-scoring, end-to-end encounter.

An attacking affair: There’s been 23 goals across the eight league matches involving Bournemouth and Liverpool this season, and more are projected when they collide this weekend. They both rank in the top seven for shots on target per 90, while only three teams have created more big chances than the Cherries.
Head-to-head record: Liverpool have lost two of their last five trips to the Vitality, including a last-gasp 3–2 defeat last season. However, they tend to score plenty at the venue, with 21 goals netted in their previous eight visits.
Midweek excursions: The Reds should be far fresher than their hosts, which could make a sizeable impact on the outcome. Iraola made wholesale changes to the team that beat Spurs on Tuesday, while Rose fielded his first-choice XI for the trip to San Sebastián on Thursday.

Prediction: Bournemouth 2–2 Liverpool

Bournemouth Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool

Bournemouth XI — Lewis Cook could be the only change from victory at Real Sociedad.

Eli Junior Kroupi remains sorely missed by Bournemouth, with the youngster unlikely to make his return from a foot injury until November.

Amine Adli, the match-winner in this fixture last term, is also absent in the forward line, with a calf injury sidelining him until after the upcoming international break.

Elsewhere, defenders Julián Araujo and Veljko Milosavljević are both in the treatment room.

Rose might be tempted to make changes after the trip to Spain, but his lack of quality squad depth means it might be a nearly identical XI that takes to the field on Sunday.

Bournemouth predicted lineup vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Petrović; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson.

Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth

Liverpool XI — Liverpool made wholesale changes midweek, with key first-teamers returning to the XI on Sunday.

Liverpool arse still missing a trio of injured players through long-term issues, with Hugo Ekitiké, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni all currently sidelined. Federico Chiesa, who has been out of action since mid-August, is still absent as well.

Joe Gomez made his return to the team in victory over Spurs, featuring for the first half of the tie and avoiding another injury setback. He will drop out of the team at Bournemouth, however, with Virgil van Dijk returning to partner Jérémy Jacquet.

That means Ronald Araújo will move back into the right back position, while Alisson will further bolster the defense by replacing Giorgi Mamardashvili between the sticks.

Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Milos Kerkez should all retain their places in the lineup, while Dominik Szoboszlai, Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak will return to the XI.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs. Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araújo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Barcola, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak.

What Time Does Bournemouth vs. Liverpool Kick Off?

Location: Bournemouth, England
Stadium: Vitality Stadium
Date: Sunday, Sept. 20
Kick-off Time: 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: Craig Pawson

How to Watch Bournemouth vs. Liverpool on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Stream
United States	fuboTV, USA Network, Peacock, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Canada	DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 2 Canada
Mexico	Fox One, Fox+
United Kingdom	Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra

MORE: Full list of Premier League broadcasters around the world

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