Liverpool will be looking to get their top-four challenge back on track with a return to winning ways at Bournemouth on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have slipped out of the Premier League top four after enduring frustrating draws at home to Everton and West Brom.
The Reds will be free of the pressures and expectation of Anfield in their next outing, but will need no reminding that they surrendered a comfortable lead to lose 4-3 on their last visit to the Vitality Stadium.
| Game | Bournemouth vs Liverpool |
| Date | Sunday, December 17 |
| Time | 16:30 GMT / 11:30 ET |
TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM
The game will be shown live on television in the United Kingdom (UK) on Sky Sports Premier League and can be streamed on the Sky Go app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Go app |
In the United States (US), the Premier League can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Bournemouth players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Begovic, Boruc, Ramsdale |
| Defenders | Ake, Francis, S. Cook, Daniels, A. Smith, Simpson |
| Midfielders | Gosling, Surman, Pugh, Arter, L. Cook, Stanislas, Hyndman, Fraser, Ibe, Mahoney |
| Forwards | Defoe, Afobe, Wilson, King, Mousset, Butcher |
Bournemouth have no fresh injury or suspension concerns to contend with ahead of a visit from Liverpool.
Long-term absentees Tyrone Mings and Brad Smith are the only senior stars unavailable to Eddie Howe.
Potential Bournemouth starting XI: Begovic; A. Smith, Francis, Ake, Daniels; Fraser, Surman, L. Cook, Stanislas; King, Defoe.
| Position | Liverpool players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Mignolet, Karius, Ward |
| Defenders | Lovren, Milner, Gomez, Klavan, Matip, Flangan, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson |
| Midfielders | Wijnaldum, Coutinho, Henderson, Mane, Can, Markovic, Ejaria, Woodburn, Wilson, Brannagan, Oxlade-Chamberlain |
| Forwards | Salah, Solanke, Firmino, Sturridge, Ings, Brewster |
Alberto Moreno continues to nurse an ankle complaint and is expected to be unavailable once again, while Joel Matip, Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Bogdan and Marko Grujic are all sidelined through injury and Adam Lallana is not yet ready for a first-team return.
Simon Mignolet made way for Loris Karius against West Brom in midweek, but Klopp confirmed afterwards that he is fit enough to play and he could come back in, while Daniel Sturridge will be looking to shake off a tight hamstring to take his place in the matchday squad.
Potential Liverpool starting XI: Mignolet; Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Robertson; Can, Henderson; Mane, Coutinho, Salah; Firmino.
BETTING & MATCH ODDS
Liverpool are considered 1/2 favourites to win, with Bournemouth 11/2 and a draw comes in at 7/2.
GAME PREVIEW
With the games continuing to come thick and fast at this time of the year, Liverpool will welcome the opportunity to get straight back into Premier League action at the end of a disappointing week.
Having followed a derby draw with Everton with another stalemate against West Brom, Klopp’s side need to rediscover their spark heading into the festive period.
A title challenge appears to now be out of the question, with Manchester City 18 points off in the distance, but a top-four finish is still there to be shot at and should be the minimum requirement.
The Reds have plenty more tests to come over the coming weeks, including Premier League meetings with Arsenal, Burnley and Manchester City and a FA Cup third round date with Everton, so they need to start building momentum.
Bournemouth, though, are also in need of inspiration following a run of five games without a win which has them just two points clear of the relegation zone.
The Cherries have already come unstuck against Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United this season, but will have fond memories of their last visit from Liverpool 12 months ago when they struck back from 3-1 down to net three times in the final 14 minutes.