Focus Fixture: Can Bournemouth upset the odds and beat Liverpool

Liverpool have the chance to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League when they head to Bournemouth on Sunday. Jurgen Klopp’s side are playing at the peak of their powers and have lost just once in the league this season. However, Bournemouth are also in good form and can pose a threat.

The Form

The signs were ominous for Bournemouth early in the season as Andoni Iraola got off to a rocky start after switching La Liga for the Premier League. He arrived with a reputation for creating hard-working teams that are capable of pressing high up the pitch but it took some time for that to translate onto the pitch at Bournemouth.

Fast forward a few months and the Cherries are delighted with the progress made. The Spaniard's methods are paying dividends and there is no danger of Bournemouth going down, barring a slump of titanic proportions.

Bournemouth are up to 12th in the table and have been beaten just once in their last nine matches in all competitions. During that run, they have picked up seven wins and conquered the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle.

Liverpool were a shadow of themselves last season but Jurgen Klopp has successfully regenerated his squad into a side that is capable of challenging on all fronts once again. The Reds have one foot in the League Cup final, are in the fourth round of the FA Cup and have successfully made it to the knockout stages of the Europa League; all while leading the domestic table.

Klopp’s team failed to qualify for the Champions League last season but there was never any doubt about the legendary manager's abilities. Anfield remains a fortress and is the cornerstone of Liverpool's success. Results on the road have been solid but they have looked slightly more vulnerable in away matches so there is some hope for Bournemouth.

Dominic Solanke, a former Liverpool striker, has been one of the stories of the season. The Englishman hardly had a prolific goal-scoring record prior to this season but his 12 league goals so far in this campaign mean he is tied 3rd in the list of top scorers; only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland have found the net more frequently.

The Runners and the Riders

Both managers are dealing with a notable list of absentees. Bournemouth are without Tyler Adams, Lloyd Kelly, Hamed Traore, Darren Randolph and Marcos Senesi. Antoine Semenyo and Dango Ouattara are also unavailable due to their commitments at international tournaments.

Joel Matip, Kostas Tsimikas, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Roberston are all missing from Liverpool’s back line.  Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic are also unavailable. Dominik Szoboszlai is also a doubt. Mohamed Salah is undoubtedly the biggest miss for Jurgen Klopp as he aims to steer Egypt to glory in the African Cup of Nations.

What They Said

Andoni Iraola has clearly had an impact on the way that Bournemouth paly but he was keen to point out that Solanke had been playing well before he made the switch from Rayo Vallecano. Iraola said "He was doing really well before we arrived. He was doing a lot of the stuff that is good for the team. He is continuing to do those things and now he has added this clinical finishing."

Klopp is dealing with an injury crisis at the back but he was keen to focus on the positives and heap praise on his makeshift defence. He said "I was not surprised because I know what he can do. All the defenders, Virgil, Quansah, Gomez; we're top of the table and the boys are performing. The number of goals conceded you cannot forget, it's not all Konate, it's the whole team, this is what we keep in our minds, it all starts from a common defensive idea."

Tip

The first of our picks for Bournemouth vs Liverpool is for both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in the match. Andoni Iraola’s side will aggressively press the visitors in the hope of winning the back back high up the pitch and capitalising.

Bournemouth’s last 10 matches have seen an average of 3.9 goals per game and the Cherries haven’t failed to score in any of those. They have nothing to lose here so expect them to put their best foot forward and go after Liverpool when possible.

Both teams have scored in eight of Liverpool’s 10 away matches in the a Premier League this season. Klopp’s side are scoring an average of 1.7 goals per game over that period. This bet has won in both meetings between these sides so far this season.

Recommended Bet: 

Both Teams To Score & Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.73

Bet Builder Tip

Our bet builder includes our main betting angle but we are also backing a couple of other legs. The first of which is Liverpool to have at least two more corners than Bournemouth.

Liverpool are averaging just 6.65 corners per league game this season; exactly two more than their opponents. This bet has also landed in the last seven meetings between these sides. During that run, Liverpool have averaged 7.57 corners and conceded just three.

The next angle is for both teams to receive 2+ cards in the match. Bournemouth’s Premier League home matches this season have seen an average of 4.78 cards per game this season. This bet also won in the previous league meeting between these sides when Liverpool were reduced to ten men.

Liverpool’s away matches have seen an average of 5.6 cards per game; 3.1 for Klopp’s teams and 2.5 for the opposition.

Recommended Bet: 

Both Teams To Score & Over 2.5 Goals at, Liverpool -1.5 Corners Handicap & Both Teams To Receive 2+ Cards @ 5.00