Liverpool return to Premier League action with a trip to the south coast on Saturday, aiming to make it two wins from two against Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth this season.
The Reds should be brimming with confidence after recently producing the standout performance of their current 13-game unbeaten run in a comprehensive 3–0 win at Marseille.
While there is still a long way to go to match last season’s remarkable 26-match unbeaten streak, a result against the Cherries would move them beyond the halfway mark— an outcome that could go a long way toward reinforcing Arne Slot’s security as boss.
With players rumored to be on their way out, recent returns, and continued shuffling within the squad, which four players— aside from obvious choices such as Alisson in goal and Ekitike up front— should be unquestionable starters in the XI?
Milos Kerkez
Starting at the back, the combination of Milos’ sparkling form and the surprising possibility that Andy Robertson could be on his way out makes starting the Hungarian against his former club essential.
Both his defensive acumen and on-ball quality have improved significantly during Liverpool’s unbeaten run, and a return to the ground where he earned a Team of the Season nod last year could help further fuel his impressive recent form.
There’s little doubt Kerkez should deliver a much-improved performance against his former teammates this time around.
In the season opener, he managed just one tackle and no interceptions in an underwhelming 59-minute outing.
By contrast, his dazzling defensive display against Mason Greenwood and Marseille’s dangerous attack, played over the full 90 minutes, suggests his numbers on Saturday should mark a significant improvement on that August showing.
Beyond returning to his first Premier League club, Saturday’s meeting with Bournemouth could carry an added personal subplot for Milos
His compatriot Alex Tóth has recently joined the Cherries, and with the manager confirming his availability, the two could find themselves in close quarters. If that happens, Kerkez will be hoping his familiarity with the midfielder’s tendencies from national-team camps proves useful.
Still searching for his first Premier League assist, Kerkez will be hoping to re-plant his flag at the Vitality while continuing to support both the back four and Liverpool’s attacking flow.
Jeremie Frimpong
Given the aforementioned reports of Robertson’s potential exit and the club navigating its first season in years without Trent Alexander-Arnold, the past few months have felt like a genuine passing of the torch at fullback. Saturday’s lineup should reflect that shift by pairing Frimpong with Kerkez.
Like his teammate, Frimpong has enjoyed an excellent run of form of late, with his electric pace and dribbling proving too much for the French side to handle, as it was Jeremie who generated the chance that led to Marseille’s own goal which doubled Liverpool’s advantage.
Jeremie’s inclusion against the Cherries is also born of necessity, with Conor Bradley unavailable and Slot recently reluctant to deploy Dominik Szoboszlai at fullback — effectively clearing the way for Jeremie to start there on Saturday.
While his display against Marseille was one of his best defensively, and he had been pushed much higher up the pitch in previous contests, if there’s one area of his game I’d nitpick and hope to see slightly improved against Bournemouth, it’s his tackle rate.
Before making four of them with aplomb against De Zerbi’s men, the Dutch international hadn’t registered a single one in over 400 minutes of action.
His recent Champions League display was a highly reassuring reminder that he’s more than capable of throwing his body at attacking threats, yet revisiting that earlier stat remains borderline shocking.
That’s still a minor foible compared with the overwhelmingly positive contributions he’s shown recently, and I have no doubt Frimpong could be a key factor against Bournemouth, continuing the excellent run he’s on.
Ryan Gravenberch
Compared to the brilliant versatility of Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz, who have roamed all over the pitch, Liverpool’s other attack-minded midfield duo, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones, have been largely disappointing and limited in the Premier League this season, combining for just three assists and no goals across 40 appearances.
At this point, I’m willing to let Slot rotate whoever he prefers between the two on a week-to-week basis, but starting Gravenberch will be essential.
While the boss is still searching for the best way to unlock Jones’ and Mac Allister’s attacking abilities domestically, expect Gravenberch to continue shouldering the midfield’s defensive duties while also contributing goals and assists when needed.
Compared to the meager three goal contributions between the Scouser and the Argentine, Gravenberch has taken it upon himself to deliver what could be his standout goal-contribution season for Liverpool.
He has already doubled the combined output of the aforementioned duo with six goal contributions of his own.
He wasn’t fit in time for Liverpool’s season opener against Bournemouth, and it showed, as the Cherries exploited two highly effective counter-attacks, with their second goal in particular slicing straight through the heart of midfield.
With Gravenberch back in the mix, Saturday’s home side could find it far harder to move the ball through the middle so easily.
Mohamed Salah
While I had thought this match, rather than the Marseille game, should have marked his return to the starting XI from AFCON, the Egyptian King should unquestionably reclaim his spot on Saturday.
He was a bit quiet in France and even scuffed a glorious chance wide in the second half, perhaps a sign he wasn’t quite ready to go.
But given his track record against the Cherries, there’s every reason to believe he can inject life into an attack that has struggled for consistency in his absence.
Mo has scored in each of his last two league meetings with Bournemouth, including an emotional strike in the season opener that he dedicated to Diogo Jota.
Looking deeper into the numbers, he has twelve career goals and two assists in 12 Liverpool appearances against the Cherries, making them one of his favorite teams to face.
The Egyptian’s AFCON performances show that Salah still has plenty left in the tank, having scored four goals for his country. Hopefully, that form can translate back to the Premier League.
The brief but bitter drama Salah caused in the media feels like a lifetime ago, and with the team on a strong unbeaten run and some time away allowing both sides to reset, hopefully Mo can return on Saturday focused on helping Liverpool secure a top-four finish.