Premier League Preview: Domination in Previous Encounters! Will Bournemouth Break the Curse at Liverpool’s Home?

At 22:00 on September 21, the 5th round of the 2024/25 Premier League season will see Liverpool hosting Bournemouth. Currently, in the league standings, Liverpool has 9 points from 3 wins and 1 loss, temporarily ranking 4th. Bournemouth, with 1 win, 2 draws, and 1 loss, has 5 points and is temporarily ranked 11th. Liverpool just defeated AC Milan 3-1 at San Siro in the Champions League, a score that seems close, but if Salah had better luck, it could have been a massacre recorded in Champions League history. Meanwhile, Bournemouth enjoyed a full week of rest, ample preparation time to replay the match footage between Liverpool and Forest repeatedly until they found instantly applicable inspiration.

This match is the second of Liverpool’s “demon schedule” of 22 games in 7 days. In the previous round, Liverpool unexpectedly lost at home to Nottingham Forest. The term “unexpected” refers to the result, but anyone who watched the game would not consider it a surprise. Liverpool was aggressive throughout, with Diaz even hitting the post once, which turned out to be their greatest threat at home against Forest. Forest’s players held their ground, moving in unison across all lines, causing Liverpool’s repeated attacks to falter. Finally, in a counterattack after a midfield interception, Odoi broke Liverpool’s undefeated and clean sheet record for the season. Post-match, Sloot admitted it was a complete defeat as his team failed to create many threatening shots.

Bournemouth, in the previous round, lost 0-1 to Chelsea with great regret. Throughout the game, Bournemouth attempted 19 shots, 7 on target, with 2 hitting the post. If not for Chelsea goalkeeper Sanchez’s heroic performance, denying Tavernier’s long-range shot at the start and saving a penalty he conceded himself, followed by multiple saves in the second half to keep the goal intact, Nkunku would not have scored the winning goal. Initially, it was thought that losing star player Solanke in the summer would significantly weaken Bournemouth, but this instead activated the team’s potential for diverse scoring opportunities. Thus, drawing 1-1 with Newcastle truly seemed unfortunate.

Sloot’s Liverpool started with a three-game winning streak, sparking endless speculation until a 1-0 defeat by Forest brought them back down to earth. This timely setback allowed them to easily secure victory at San Siro. Forest’s defensive strategy provided significant reference value for so-called “weaker teams.” Bournemouth’s tactical style is more aggressive than Forest’s, possessing the ability to break through in positional play while also mounting fierce and threatening counterattacks.

However, based on recent experiences, Bournemouth can be seen as Liverpool’s ATM and partner in racking up goal differences. Statistically, the two teams have faced each other 20 times, with Liverpool winning 16, drawing 2, and losing 2, holding an absolute advantage. At Anfield, Bournemouth has never won. Last season, the teams met three times in the league and cup, with Liverpool winning all three matches, including a 4-0 victory. Earlier, Liverpool had once trounced Bournemouth 9-0, after which Iraola’s team transformed and evolved. Among Liverpool’s 16 victories, three were 3-0 and three were 4-0.

According to the arrangement, the referee for this match is Harrington, with Scott serving as VAR. Harrington has already officiated two Premier League matches this season, issuing a total of six yellow cards and surprisingly awarding two penalties. His high penalty rate may add an unexpected twist to the match.

Before the game, Liverpool manager Sloot stated: Alisson suffered a minor muscle injury, and the pain intensified after the Milan match, leaving his participation in today’s training uncertain. He then believed that Nunez’s playing time would increase. Lastly, he noted that the team’s fatigue accumulation was less severe than expected. Overall, Liverpool’s squad is nearly complete, and in the Champions League match, Gakpo and Tsimikas started due to the relatively easy nature of the game, allowing other main players to be substituted off gradually for adequate rest.

This match marks Cook’s 200th appearance for Bournemouth, and he hopes to celebrate this special day with a victory. Before the game, Bournemouth manager Iraola confirmed that apart from Adams being unable to play, only Watara’s condition needs further assessment.

Liverpool, whose winning streak was unexpectedly halted, used a victory at San Siro to regroup. Once the background of tragic defeats, Bournemouth is no longer considered an easy point giver. Continuously evolving, can they break the shackles of fate at Anfield?

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