Liverpool team news – Jurgen Klopp has dilemma for Bournemouth trip
Jurgen Klopp hails emphatic performance in 7-0 win over Manchester United
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will be desperate for his players to pick up where they left off against Manchester United by securing a comfortable win over Bournemouth in their next Premier League outing on Saturday afternoon. The Reds are still very much on a high after their seven-goal trouncing of their biggest rivals last weekend but will need to stave off the threat of complacency in order to stand the best chance of securing another positive result at the Vitality Stadium.
The big question for Klopp will be whether to stick with the same 11 players who managed to put United to the sword last week or if he will decide to freshen things up by making a couple of changes to his preferred starting lineup. Express Sport takes a look at the Liverpool side that could be tasked with claiming all three points against Bournemouth later today…
Goalkeeper – Alisson
Alisson Becker has played every minute in the Premier League so far this season and will almost certainly be given the nod to take up his usual position between the sticks against Bournemouth. The Brazilian stopper has been one of his side’s best players over the course of the campaign and managed to keep a clean sheet against United last time around to mark his fifth Premier League shutout in a row.
He will fancy his chances of making it six games without conceding later today, with bottom-dwellers Bournemouth having found the back of the net on just 24 occasions since their promotion at the end of last season. However, the 30-year-old will still need to be at his very best over the course of the 90 minutes as Liverpool look to maintain their top-four charge by claiming another important victory on the road.
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Defence – Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson
It seems likely that Klopp will name an unchanged side from the one that faced United last weekend, which will see the same back four tasked with keeping things tight in defence at the Vitality Stadium. Andrew Robertson managed to chip in with an assist against the Red Devils and will fill his usual role at left-back opposite Trent Alexander-Arnold on the other flank.
Meanwhile, the central pairing of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk are set to be given the nod once again, with Joe Gomez still unavailable as he continues to step up his recovery from a hamstring injury sustained last month. The duo will be hoping to put on a repeat of their performance against United to help Liverpool secure another big win over the Cherries, who were on the receiving end of a humiliating 9-0 drubbing at Anfield earlier in the campaign.
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Midfield – Fabinho, Henderson, Elliott
Bournemouth are among the lowest scorers at home in the Premier League this season, which should allow Liverpool to field another forward-thinking lineup for the second week in a row. This could see Harvey Elliott keep his place in the middle of the park as he looks to build on his impressive performance against United by running the show once again at the next time of asking, with Keita set to be overlooked if he is passed fit to play for the Reds.
Elliott could be supported by Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, who will be looking to keep things tight in the engine room to allow the 19-year-old enough space to carve out chances without having to worry too much about the defensive side of his game. This dynamic worked extremely well against United and there is no reason to suggest that Klopp will deviate from it on Saturday, although it remains to be seen whether or not the German boss will ultimately be tempted to tinker with his team selection.
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Attack – Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
Liverpool will be expected to name the same attacking trio that tore United apart a week ago, with Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez in line to reprise their roles for this weekend’s trip to Bournemouth. All three players managed to bag braces against the Red Devils and will be full of confidence against statistically the leakiest defence in the Premier League next time around.
Bournemouth have already conceded a total of 51 goals this season and will certainly have their work cut out to keep Liverpool’s star-studded trio at bay when the two sides do battle on Saturday. It seems as though goals could be aplenty if the Reds manage to get off to a flying start, which they will be well-prepared for off the back of their historic win over United at Anfield.
Possible Liverpool XI vs Bournemouth (4-3-3) – Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Elliott; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.
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