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Liverpool continue to look more convincing in the Champions League and showed that again in midweek when beating Marseille 3-0.
That’s three straight away wins for the Reds in Europe after victories over Eintracht Frankfurt (5-1), Inter (1-0) and Marseille.
But while the latter two successes form part of a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions, Arne Slot’s side have drawn four straight in the Premier League.
Those stutters mean they’re a massive 14 points behind Arsenal and seven adrift of third-placed Villa.
Liverpool are fourth but being top of an unconvincing chasing pack is not what the champions would have had in mind.
Bournemouth are also well below where they want to be after slipping to 15th with a run of just one win in the last 13 top-flight games. Six of those have been draws.
This is the reverse fixture of the opening game of the season when Liverpool won 4-2 after they’d seen a 2-0 lead wiped out by a double from the now departed Antoine Semenyo.
With their most dangerous attacking force gone, it’s an uphill task for the Cherries to start climbing the table again.
But at least Bournemouth have drawn both games since Semenyo’s exit and were unlucky not to win at Brighton last time, victory snatched from them by Charalampos Kostoulas’s stunning overhead kick in injury-time.
How to follow Bournemouth v Liverpool
Bournemouth vs Liverpool kicks off at 17:30 (UK) on Saturday, January 24 at the Vitality Stadium.
The game will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting from 5pm.
BBC Radio 5 will provide full match commentary.
Bournemouth team news
Winger Ben Gannon-Doak will be denied a reunion with his former team due to injury.
He’s one of several on the treatment table for Bournemouth, with Justin Kluivert, Tyler Adams and Marcus Tavernier all still sidelined.
Cherries boss Andoni Iraola will hope David Brooks and Enes Unal are fit to return.
Bournemouth expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Brooks, Adli, Jimenez, Kroupi; Evanilson.
Liverpool team news
Mo Salah made his return against Marseille on Wednesday and should be set to make his first Premier League appearance since the win over Brighton on December 13.
Ibrahima Konate misses out again on compassionate leave following the death of his father. Joe Gomez will deputise.
Liverpool’s only other concerns are the long-term absences of Alexander Isak and Connor Bradley while left-back Milos Kerkez will be returning to his former stomping ground.
Liverpool expected line-up
(4-3-3) Alisson; Frimpong, Van Dijk, Gomez, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai; Wirtz, Salah, Ekitike.
Bournemouth v Liverpool stats
– Bournemouth have conceded 52 goals in their 17 Premier League games against Liverpool – against no side have they shipped more (also 52 vs Man City).
– Liverpool have won 12 of their last 13 Premier League games against Bournemouth, with the exception being a 1-0 away defeat in March 2023.
– 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 Man City last season.
– Bournemouth have won just one of their last 13 Premier League games (D6 L6), beating Spurs 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 are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games, the longest current run of any side (W4 D6). However, they’ve drawn each of their last four, last drawing more consecutive league games in October/November 1980 (5).
– Florian Wirtz has either scored (3) or assisted (1) a goal in four of his last six Premier League appearances, with these goal involvements being worth six points to Liverpool.
Bournemouth v Liverpool predictions
The two shared six goals at Anfield earlier in the season and the net could bulge frequently again here.
Bournemouth know how to score a goal but are leaking them in big numbers. They’ve conceded 41 times in their 22 Premier League matches so far.
Most of Liverpool’s problems this season have come against teams playing a low block so they should enjoy this purer game of football on Saturday evening.
The Reds get the nod and the market that screams loudest is Liverpool to win and both teams to score at 23/10.
Mo Salah has scored seven goals at the Vitality Stadium, including a hat-trick.
Salah netted four times for Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations (he was the tournament’s joint-second top scorer) and can get the opener here at 11/2.
