Liverpool vs Bournemouth, LIVE: Will the Premier League champions elect bounce back or can relegation-threatened Cherries pile more misery on Jurgen Klopp’s Reds? Follow all the action from Anfield right here…

• Liverpool look to return to winning ways against strugglers Bournemouth
• Eddie Howe and his men will see this as an unlikely opportunity to pick up points
• Sportsmail will provide all the build-up and live updates from the 12.30pm clash

Liverpool welcome Bournemouth to Anfield in the Premier League early kick-off this Saturday afternoon as they look to bounce back after a run of shaky results. 

Jurgen Klopp’s men surprisingly have lost three of their previous four games in all competitions and Bournemouth will see this as an unlikely opportunity to pick up some much-needed points in their desperate fight against relegation. 

Can Bournemouth do the unthinkable and pile more misery on Klopp’s Reds or will common sense prevail and Liverpool return to winning ways?

Stay with us to find out as Sportsmail’s KISHAN VAGHELA will be providing all the build-up and live updates from this intriguing clash at Anfield.

Host commentator

Host commentator

We’re all set for the first Premier League game of the weekend, with this being a key game for both sides.

Will Liverpool take a step closer to the title or will Bournemouth sink closer to a return to the Championship?

The hosts need a pickup, and they probably couldn’t have picked a better side to come up against.

Liverpool have won their last five games against today’s opponents 17-0, and the last time the visitors avoided defeated and scored at Anfield was a 2-2 draw in April 2017.

That game three years ago was the only time Liverpool have failed to beat Bournemouth at home, and despite their recent run they will be confident of another victory today.

While Alisson joined Jordan Henderson on the sidelines this week, there was some positive injury news for Liverpool this week.

Naby Keita has missed the last two games but returned to training on Thursday.

But the news was not so good for Bournemouth, with second top scorer Harry Wilson ineligible to play against his parent club today.

Plenty of negative statistics have surfaced in recent days about Liverpool, but Bournemouth’s outlook is considerably more bleak.

Eddie Howe’s men have lost each of their last five away outings, and eight of their last nine in the top flight.

No team has lost more games on the road this season than the side who have just one win in their last five.

The south coast side also slipped into the bottom three last weekend – ironically courtesy of Watford’s victory against Liverpool.

Can Nigel Pearson’s men’s win serve as inspiration to Eddie Howe’s side, who also managed to beat Chelsea away this season?

Either way, it is an incredibly challenging period for Bournemouth right now, as they are set to face six of the current top seven in the final 10 games of the season.

Adrian’s blunder against Chelsea in midweek and the fact that the Reds’ first team have conceded seven goals in their last three games – as many as in their previous 20 outings – has increased anxiety about their defence.

But in attack, the numbers aren’t particularly brilliant either. The defeat at Watford was the first time Liverpool had failed to score in the league in a year, and they have not failed to score in succcessive top-flight games since May 2018.

There was just one shot on target in the Atletico Madrid and Watford games combined, and they also failed to find the net at Stamford Bridge too despite an improved performance.

Among all the doom and gloom at Anfield currently, the Reds can still beat one record should they record a 13th victory from their last 17 games against Bournemouth.

Should Klopp’s men win today, they will surpass Bill Shankly’s 1972 side’s run of 21 consecutive home wins in English top-flight football, currently the joint-highest.

The win would also move the Reds 25 points clear with 10 games remaining, and extend their unbeaten home run to 55 league games stretching back to April 2017.

Liverpool’s star man Mo Salah has extra reason to celebrate today as he marks his 100th Premier League game for Liverpool today.

He has scored 69 league goals in that time, and he will be confident of adding to that today given his record against Bournemouth.

The Egyptian has never failed to score against Eddie Howe’s men, netting seven goals in five appearances against them.

And should he find the net today, he would become the first Liverpool player since Michael Owen to score 20 goals in three successive campaigns in all competitions.

Amongst all the talks of records this season, Liverpool come into this game with more pressure than usual on their shoulders.

They will still win their first Premier League crown in 30 years, with just 12 more points needed, but achievements to match the greatest English sides are no longer possible for Klopp’s men.

The Reds lost their veil of invincibility after their defeat at Watford last weekend, whereas any hopes of matching Man United’s treble winning side of 1999 were dashed with a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea in the FA Cup in midweek.

Here is Ian Ladyman on a week from hell for Liverpool, with first-choice keeper Alisson joining captain Jordan Henderson on the sidelines.

Bournemouth XI to face Liverpool: Ramsdale, Stacey, S. Cook, Ake, Smith, L. Cook, Lerma, Billing, Fraser, C. Wilson, Stanislas

Substitutes: Boruc, Simpson, Rico, Surman, Gosling, Solanke, Surridge

Liverpool XI to face Bournemouth: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Milner, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Firmino, Mane

Substitutes: Lonergan, Keita, Minamino, Lallana, Origi, Matip, Williams

Another weekend of Premier League action kicks off with leaders Liverpool in action against Bournemouth at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have lost three of their last four games – something that hadn’t happened since January 2017.

But they will feel confident of restoring confidence ahead of a crunch Champions League second-leg tie against Atletico Madrid in midweek against a Bournemouth side who slipped into the relegation zone last weekend.

We will have team news for you shortly.

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