TEAM NEWS
Dan Gosling remains absent with a knee injury, while there are fitness concerns over several unnamed players.
Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook faces up to nine months out after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during Tuesday’s win over Huddersfield.
Liverpool are without defenders Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez, with the latter ruled out for up to six weeks due to a lower leg fracture. Sadio Mane is a major doubt because of a cut foot but Andy Robertson returns.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@SteveBowercomm: The fact that Liverpool have their best ever points tally after 15 games and still aren’t top of the table shows just how high their standards must continue to be.
They head to Dorset after a productive and dramatic week in their latest test of endurance, which will continue after this match with the huge Champions League meeting against Napoli on Tuesday.
It was important for Bournemouth to end a run of four straight defeats against Huddersfield before they test themselves against one of the big boys again.
They still remember their only win against Liverpool in December 2016, a dramatic 4-3 victory, but Jurgen Klopp’s team these days are a far more stubborn proposition.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: “The game on Tuesday was a big win for us. We won without playing well, something we’ve rarely done in the Premier League. I anticipate we’ll play better tomorrow.
“We have to be excellent to get something – Liverpool won’t take us lightly though. They’re unbeaten and we anticipate a full-strength team against us.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on amassing a club record 39 points from the opening 15 games: “So far we showed consistency, which is the most important thing.
“If you reach a specific level then you have to improve that, then you need first of all the consistency to stay on that level and that’s actually what the boys do.
“Whatever happens in a game, believe in your own tools, believe in your own strength and use them. That’s what we did.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Some of Liverpool’s recent performances have been ordinary, while Bournemouth have been great this season.
The Cherries play good football and are easy on the eye, but they are not a soft touch – and Liverpool will have to play well to beat them.
Prediction: 0-2
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Liverpool have won four of the six Premier League meetings, including by 4-0 on their most recent visit to Bournemouth 12 months ago.
- Bournemouth have only beaten Liverpool once in any competition, coming from 2-0 and 3-1 down to win 4-3 in the Premier League in December 2016.
Bournemouth
- Bournemouth ended a run of four straight defeats with a midweek win against Huddersfield.
- The Cherries are two short of scoring 100 Premier League goals at the Vitality Stadium.
- Callum Wilson, who was the first player to score a Premier League home goal for Bournemouth in August 2015, has scored eight in 15 appearances for the Cherries in this campaign. That is as many as he managed in 28 games last season.
- Ten of Bournemouth’s last 11 league goals were either scored or assisted by Wilson or Ryan Fraser, who has provided seven assists so far in 2018-19, more than any other Cherries player has managed in an entire season.
Liverpool
- Liverpool are aiming for a fifth consecutive win in the Premier League.
- They are unbeaten in 16 Premier League matches (W13, D3) and could equal their club record of 17 consecutive fixtures unbeaten, set in 2008.
- The Reds are unbeaten away from home in the league this season (W6, D2).
- James Milner could make his 500th Premier League appearance in this match, becoming the 13th player to reach that landmark.
- Roberto Firmino has been involved in five goals in his last five Premier League appearances against Bournemouth, scoring three and setting up two.
Source: BBC News
