LIVERPOOL VS BOURNEMOUTH | Saturday, February 9th | Premier League | Anfield 3:00 PM GMT /10:00 AM EST Three points are necessary against Bournemouth on Saturday for Liverpool to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League. A couple of frustrating draws against Leicester City and West Ham allowed Manchester City to leapfrog Liverpool in the table. But if they come up short at Anfield this weekend, Liverpool will have ceded all the open space between them and Pep Guardiola’s side. Bournemouth’s results have been mostly unpredictable over the last month or so. They’re the ones who beat Chelsea 4-0, but they also lost to both Everton and Cardiff City without scoring a single goal in either match. Eddie Howe has led his sometimes impressive side up to tenth place in the Premier League. Howe is undoubtably a talented manager but he has struggled to get Bournemouth to punch more consistently above their weight this season. A January move for Dominic Solanke shows the Cherries need for more goals. Howe generally runs out a pair of strikers, but both Callum Wilson and David Brooks are out for a string of weeks. So, Liverpool’s defense is likely to face up against Solanke at Anfield alongside Joshua King. Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3) Alisson; Milner, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mané The reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium was a memorable win for Jürgen Klopp’s side. Liverpool left 4-0 victors thanks to a hat-trick from Mohamed Salah and a Steve Cook own goal. Interestingly, James Milner was Klopp’s right-back that day, leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench. Naby Keita was also in that winning team in lieu of either Jordan Henderson or Adam Lallana who subbed on in the second half. Trent could potentially make a late fitness test but Milner was good for the job back in December and it’s worth giving the young defender some extra time to recovery from his injury. I’m all for giving Keita another go in the starting XI and the player clearly knows how to make it happen against Bournemouth. Klopp was noncommittal when asked about the availability of either Henderson or Gini Wijnaldum for Saturday’s match but the manager did reveal that both players had joined team training on Thursday and appeared to come through in good condition. Having one or the other in the midfield three has proved a deciding factor in Liverpool’s stability. Bournemouth are an attacking side but Howe’s plan will be to defend in numbers, force Liverpool into turnovers in the attacking third, and spring counter attacks. Klopp’s team will need to be diligent at covering for one other when players get caught up the pitch in attack. And Joël Matip will need to be doubly diligent at protecting Milner if the English midfielder fills in for Trent. They are all must-win games with the margins so thin at the top. Liverpool have all the impetus to control their position going into Saturday’s match but the team has to pull together at Anfield this weekend and put on a dominant performance against Bournemouth. Three points means staying three points above City. And at the rate we’re going, at the end of the season, a single point could be all that separates the winner from everyone else. But have fun out there. What the Managers Had to Say Jürgen Klopp: “We will be ready with each fibre of our bodies to fight for everything. At the end of the season I just want to be able to say we gave everything. You can’t have 62 points without doing really good and we have the chance to get a few more.” Eddie Howe: “We’ve always proved that we can put our game together against these teams and produce some really strong performances. The results, that’s always a difficult one to define.” The Officials Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn Fourth official: Mike Dean Kickoff is set for 3:00 PM GMT/10:00 AM EST tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on LiveSoccerTV. In the meantime, and as always, we’ll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it’s released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.<doc-sep>With title rivals Manchester City ahead at the summit of the table on goal difference, the pressure is on Jurgen Klopp's side to retake the lead Liverpool face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday as they look to get their title bid back on track and, if only temporarily, move back to the top of the table. The Reds dropped points after draws at Leicester and West Ham to allow City to retake the lead at the summit of the table, albeit with a game in hand. With a vital Champions League encounter against Bayern Munich looming, the hosts will have to keep their focus against a side who are more than capable of causing an upset. Eddie Howe will feel his side have every chance of three points at Anfield but they'll likely need a far better performance than last time out, when they were beaten 2-0 by Cardiff City. Game Liverpool vs Bournemouth Date Saturday, February 9 Time 3:00pm GMT / 10:00am ET Stream (US only) fubo TV (7-day free trial) TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch In the United States (US), the game 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. US TV channel Online stream NBCSN fubo TV (7-day free trial) In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be shown on television or streamed due to broadcasting rules. Goal will, however, be providing minute-by-minute coverage on our match blog. UK TV channel Online stream N/A N/A Squads & Team News Position Liverpool players Goalkeepers Alisson, Mignolet, Grabara Defenders Van Dijk, Robertson, Moreno, Matip, Alexander-Arnold Midfielders Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Keita, Henderson, Lallana, Camacho, Jones Forwards Mane, Salah, Firmino, Sturridge, Shaqiri, Origi Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold all returned to training this week for the Reds but only the Dutch midfielder starts against the Cherries. Dejan Lovren, Joe Gomez, Rhian Brewster and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all remain sidelined and despite the Bayern game on the horizon, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are all expected to start. Xherdan Shaqiri has been left out because of a slight abdominal injury. Confirmed Liverpool starting XI: Alisson; Milber, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Keita; Mane, Salah, Firmino. Position Bournemouth squad Goalkeepers Boruc, Begovic, Travers Defenders S. Cook, Ake, Daniels, Rico, Mings, Simpson, Clyne, Smith Midfielders Surman, Pugh, Lerma, Ibe, Stanislas, Brooks, Fraser, Ofoborh, Gosling Forwards Mousset, King, Solanke Bournemouth will not be able to select Nathaniel Clyne, who is on loan from Liverpool and therefore ineligible to feature, though ex-Reds man Dominic Solanke could face his former club. Simon Francis and Lewis Cook are out for the season with cruciate ligament injuries, while David Brooks and top scorer Callum Wilson also remain sidelined with knocks. Confirmed Bournemouth starting XI: Boruc; Smith, Ake, Cook, Rico; Ibe, Lerma, Gosling, Surman, Fraser; King. Betting & Match Odds Liverpool are 2/9 favourites to win this match with bet365. Bournemouth can be backed at 13/1, while a draw is available at 13/2. Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more. Match Preview Dropped points at Leicester and West Ham have seen Liverpool surrender their lead at the top of the table, with Manchester City now leading the way, albeit only by goal difference and with the Reds having a game in hand. Jurgen Klopp’s side have been hit by a handful of injuries in recent weeks although will hope to welcome back Alexander-Arnold for the visit of Bournemouth. Goalkeeper Alisson further stressed this week that, despite the slip-ups in recent weeks, Liverpool’s belief in their chances remain unshaken. "We believe we can win the league," the former Roma man stated. "We've shown in the past that we're good enough and we'll continue to show this in the games we've got to come. "Our pressure is the same. We take things game by game without worrying about what our opponents are doing. "We don't think about Man City, we think about ourselves. We only think about what we can do and how things are moving forward." Bournemouth should, however, prove tough opposition, despite their own injury issues. Article continues below The Cherries’ top scorer Callum Wilson is currently sidelined while David Brooks, who has been something of a revelation for the club this season, is also absent. They will, however, take belief from the 4-0 thumping they dished out to Chelsea and feel they have a chance of getting something, should they perform well at Anfield. That said, Bournemouth haven’t won away from home in the league since October and Klopp will undoubtedly have his team well prepared as they look to claim their first win in three.<doc-sep>Jürgen Klopp will assess the fitness of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum before deciding on Liverpool's line-up against Bournemouth. The trio were absent for Monday’s 1-1 draw at West Ham United with injury but returned to training at Melwood this week ahead of the Cherries’ visit to Anfield. And their availability for selection will be monitored in the final hours before the Premier League clash, Klopp explained at his pre-match press conference on Friday. “Trent trained yesterday for the first time and didn’t mention any issues or any problems. After four weeks for a first session, we need to see what we do there,” said the manager. “Jordan trained yesterday as well for the first time; it was not that long a break but it was a muscle issue. We need to have another look today. “Gini trained yesterday completely normal, but I don’t know in the moment. We have to see.” Dejan Lovren is definitely ruled out, however, with the Champions League tie against Bayern Munich a realistic target for the defender’s comeback. Joe Gomez is a longer-term absentee following surgery earlier this week. Bournemouth will be without top scorer Callum Wilson (knee) and attacker David Brooks (ankle) for the trip to Anfield, manager Eddie Howe confirmed. The Cherries must check on the fitness of midfielder Jefferson Lerma (ankle), too, while on-loan right-back Nathaniel Clyne is ineligible to face his parent club. Dominic Solanke, who joined Bournemouth in a permanent move from the Reds last month, is in line to take on his former team after making his debut last week. Howe, whose side suffered a 4-0 defeat by Liverpool earlier this season, said: “We have had some great games with Liverpool. The recent games have been tough, though. “We need to be more competitive, it’s a good game and an exciting challenge.” Last time out West Ham United v Liverpool (February 4): Alisson, Milner, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Keita, Lallana, Mane, Salah, Firmino. Cardiff City v Bournemouth (February 2): Boruc, Clyne, S. Cook, Ake, Smith, Stanislas, Gosling, Surman, Fraser, Solanke, King.<doc-sep>
Liverpool team news: Georginio Wijnaldum is a doubt to face Bournemouth Liverpool could be without a number of key players for their meeting with Bournemouth this weekend as the Reds look to regain their lead at the top of the Premier League. Consecutive draws with Leicester and West Ham have allowed Manchester City to draw level at the top of the table, although Pep Guardiola’s side have played one game more than Liverpool. Manager Jurgen Klopp will hope his players can get back to winning ways at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday but the German is faced with several tough selection decisions. Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned to training and is closing in on a comeback but is unlikely to be risked against the Cherries, meaning James Milner should start at right-back again. Joe Gomez has undergone surgery on his leg fracture and is a long-term absentee while Dejan Lovren is struggling with a hamstring injury and is doubtful to play. Therefore, Joel Matip is most likely to partner Virgil van Dijk in central defence while Andrew Robertson is an automatic pick at left-back. Further forward, both Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson are doubts after suffering problems against West Ham. Wijnaldum has a sore knee and is thought to have the more severe problem of the two midfielders, although both he and Henderson would make the starting XI if passed fit. Liverpool team news: Sadio Mane scored the Reds' only goal against West Ham last time out Fabinho would likely join them in a midfield three but if both remain sidelined then the Brazilian should be paired with Naby Keita in central roles. A lack of midfield options would force Klopp to move from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1, meaning Xherdan Shaqiri comes into the side on the right wing. The Swiss international would be joined by Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane with the trio operating behind lone frontman Mohamed Salah. Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains sidelined but has been named in Liverpool’s Champions League squad and is due to return to full training this month. Liverpool predicted line-up vs Bournemouth – Premier League (4-2-3-1): Alison; Milner, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Keita; Shaqiri, Firmino, Mane; Salah Liverpool team news: Is this how Jurgen Klopp's side will line up against Bournemouth?