Bournemouth vs Liverpool

Vitality Stadium forms the backdrop for a handsomely-looking Premier League showdown between Bournemouth and Liverpool. 

The spirits are at an all-time high with the Bournemouth camp after a 5-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest last weekend extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to an incredible 11 matches (W7, D4). Sat in the top seven pre-round, Andoni Iraola’s men remain firmly in contention for a historic top-four finish, with only a point separating them from fourth-placed Manchester City. Vitality has been a fortress this season, as the Cherries only lost twice across 12 competitive home outings (W7, D3), including back-to-back league wins ‘to nil.’ However, Liverpool’s visit spells trouble for Bournemouth, considering they’ve lost 11 of their 12 Premier League encounters against sides starting the round at the top of the pile (W1). Furthermore, they slumped to an embarrassing 4-0 defeat in this corresponding fixture last term.

On the other hand, overachieving manager Arne Slot had the luxury to field a second-string line-up in a 3-2 defeat at PSV Eindhoven in midweek Champions League action, given that Liverpool had qualified for the knockout stages with a game to spare. Back to the Premier League, where they boast a six-point lead on second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand, the Reds bid to defy an underwhelming away form. Indeed, they’ve won just once on their last four road trips in all competitions (D1, L2), failing to keep a clean sheet on each occasion. However, confidence stems from Liverpool’s formidable four-game winning streak against Bournemouth in competitive football, with the Merseyside powerhouse netting 3+ goals on three occasions.