Liverpool got off to a good start with three consecutive Premier League wins, but the pitfalls came after the international break.
Against Nottingham Forest at Anfield, Liverpool were hampered by a lacklustre defence and were denied a moment’s opportunity to score a goal and suffer their first defeat of the season.
In their first Champions League game away to AC Milan, they bounced back from their disappointment with a comeback win. Once again, they have a good response, and this weekend they will be back in action at Anfield against Bournemouth, where they will be looking to take the ‘three’ points.
Ahead of the clash at one of England’s most difficult stadiums, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said of playing at Anfield.
He said that even if they played well, there would always be moments when they would be exposed to the terror of their opponents, and that it was essential to have a tenacious defence that could withstand those periods.
“At Anfield you feel even if you play well, there are minutes you feel the pressure all the time,”
“There’s a corner, a free-kick, they shoot, your ‘keeper saves one and you have some minutes where, woof, you feel like you are in trouble.”
“We need to have the defensive solidity to not panic in these moments and wait for our moments because I’m sure we will have our moments.”
The club, who lost Dominic Solanke, the team’s ace until last season, to Tottenham Hotspur, are in 11th place in the Premier League table with a so-far mediocre record.
How will Liverpool’s battle with Bournemouth, who are looking to bounce back from their defeat in the previous round, end with Bournemouth looking for a turnaround at Fortress Anfield…?