Anfield Giants Head South: Bournemouth vs. Liverpool Match Preview
Bournemouth versus Liverpool might feel a bit lopsided for some, but it’s certainly a vital match for Liverpool to continue their reign at the top of the EPL ladder. Bournemouth is hanging around in the middle of the table but certainly won’t go down without a fight, and it’s sure to be exciting.
Match Details
This upcoming EPL matchup will take place on January 21st, Sunday, with a kick-off time of 16:30 GMT. The game is held at the home ground of Bournemouth, Vitality Stadium.
Team News
Liverpool’s team news doesn’t get any better with Mo Salah already out due to his involvement with the Africa Cup of Nations, as Trent Alexander-Arnold will also miss several games because of injury. Although Wataru Endo is out of this game due to playing in the AFC Asian Cup, there are injuries to the likes of Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic Maquieira, Thiago Alcantara, Konstantinos Tsimikas, Andrew Robertson, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Bournemouth has a few players missing, although not quite as many big names as Liverpool. Tyler Adams, Hamed Traore, Darren Randolph, Lloyd Kelly, Milos Kerkez, and Ryan Fredericks are all expected to miss time due to injury. Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo are involved in the African Cup of Nations, and Marcos Senesi Baron is currently suspended.
Recent Form
Liverpool is leading the Premier League in points with 45 and is looking stronger than ever without several star players. Their last five games have included three wins and two draws, with their latest match ending in a massive 2-0 win over Arsenal.
Bournemouth has looked decent in their last five games, with four wins and one loss, which puts them in 12th place on the EPL ladder. Their most recent match was a 1-3 loss to Tottenham, although Bournemouth did defeat Manchester United 3-0 not too long ago.
Head-to-Head
Liverpool typically does very well against Bournemouth when looking at the records, as the last four Premier League matchups have ended in three Liverpool victories and just one for Bournemouth. One of the wins for Liverpool was a giant 9-0 demolition back in 2022.
Key Players to Watch
Not having their best goalscorer is going to be tough for Liverpool, as Salah’s 14 goals this season is hard to replace. Still, the team is getting solid efforts from Darwin Núñez (5 goals and 6 assists in 19 games) and Diogo Jota (5 goals), so there should be enough talent on the pitch to handle the loss of Salah.
For Bournemouth, all attention is likely going to be focused on Dominic Solanke, who has been great for the team thanks to 12 goals in 19 games played. Antoine Semenyo will be missing, although he’s only scored 3 goals for the team this season.
Tactical Overview
Liverpool is always tough to beat due to the excellent coaching from Jürgen Klopp, but the team is also very strong at attacking set pieces and fighting back after the opposition scores. Liverpool will need to watch their offside flags, but otherwise, there’s very little that the team does wrong.
Predictions
It’s clear that Liverpool is the favourite with odds of 7/10, although a draw may be a good bet with a great payout due to odds of 17/5. Bournemouth winning is unlikely and has low odds of 18/5. The over/under for goals scored is at 3.5, which has odds of 23/20. The best bet for Anytime Goalscorer is safest with Núñez, who has odds of 6/5 to score in the game. As of now, Liverpool’s chances are 56%, Bournemouth has 22%, and a draw is 22%.
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