Last time Bournemouth visited Liverpool it ended in the sacking of Scott Parker and a humiliating 9-0 defeat, but there have been a lot of changes for both sides since then. Last Word on Football gives our prediction for the Premier League clash and provides the best odds on who will come out on top as Liverpool take on Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday, August 19.
Liverpool vs Bournemouth Predictions and Best Odds for PL Clash
😱 @LFC won 9-0 the last time they hosted AFC Bournemouth!
What will the score be this weekend? pic.twitter.com/ySag7RWD6d
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 18, 2023
Liverpool Current Run of Form
The Reds come into this fixture off the back of an opening day draw away to Chelsea, with Luis Diaz finding the net as Klopp’s side drew 1-1 at Stamford Bridge.
The Anfield-based club had taken the lead in the opening 20 minutes, and looked to have doubled it when Mohamed Salah fired home, only for the Egyptian’s effort to be chalked off for offside.
Chelsea levelled the scores just before half-time as Axel Disasi fired home before Ben Chilwell seemingly put the London club in front moments later, but again the flag was raised, this time saving Liverpool’s blushes.
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After looking in control of the game up until the Blues equalised, the away side looked more unlikely to score as the game went on and were happy enough with a point away from home on the opening day.
Prior to the league curtain raiser, Klopp’s side had endured a moderately successful run of games in preseason, winning three, drawing once with their only defeat coming at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Their most notable win came against Leicester, in a 4-0 win in Singapore, with Darwin Nunez, Bobby Clark, Diogo Jota and Ben Doak on the score sheet. Nunez and Diogo Jota top scored in preseason with four goals a piece with Diaz close behind on three.
Bournemouth Current Run of Form
The Cherries switched managers on the eve of their preseason trip to Marbella as Andoni Iraola replaced the now-Wolves boss Gary O’Neil. The 41-year-old Spaniard had a mixed bag in the off-season, though, as the club won three and lost two of their warm-up games.
David Brooks was the in-form player during that period scoring three times, whilst new left-back Milos Kerkez looked an impressive addition at just 19.
There was still a hangover from last season’s failures, however, as the Dorset team continued to struggle with set pieces. They conceded both their goals against Southampton from set plays, but were able to win 3-2 late on as Brooks ran through on goal.
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It is the opening day 1-1 draw with West Ham last weekend that will be freshest in both the players and fans’ minds, though. There were clear signs that the team are adapting well to Iraola’s new style of play, and whilst very much still a work in progress, the Dorset club will be happy they were able to salvage a point after Jarrod Bowen’s thunderbolt put the Hammers in front.
Dominic Solanke’s equaliser may have come late in the game but there were definitely signs that Bournemouth will be a different proposition this season and will not be beaten 9-0 by Liverpool again.
Recent Head to Head
The Reds have dominated this fixture, in particular when playing at home. They are undefeated against the Cherries at home in the Premier League, having won five and drawn once. Bournemouth’s only Premier League point at Anfield came in a 2-2 draw in April 2017.
Since then, Bournemouth have mustered just one win against Klopp’s side, losing the following seven games both home and away, although that victory came in the last meeting between the two clubs – a 1-0 win at Vitality Stadium in March.
Victory at the tail end of last season aside, the last time the Dorset side travelled to Anfield they were beaten 9-0, prompting them to part ways with then-boss Parker.
Bournemouth have conceded a total of 36 goals in 12 games against the Reds with their only clean sheet coming in the 1-0 victory last season.
Liverpool vs Bournemouth Prediction
It is hard to look beyond Liverpool for this one but with the Reds’ new-look midfield and defensive frailties that were exposed against Chelsea, it suggests that both teams will get on the score sheet in this one.
A 3-1 win for Klopp’s side will send the Cherries back to Dorset with no points but their pride restored after the debacle of last season. The defeat will have a very different feel about it, though, after two late Liverpool goals deny the Cherries are hard-earned draw.
Iraola may have masterminded victories over Real Madrid and Barcelona during his time at Rayo Vallecano, but both of those wins came on home soil. Despite the positivity around the Spaniard’s methods and style of play, Klopp’s reloaded Liverpool should be too much to handle.
Current Odds: Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Main image credit: Ank kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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