The EPL Cheat Sheet: Bournemouth vs. Liverpool

The televised Sunday clash in the EPL sees Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool head south to take on Bournemouth in a matchup where both sides are desperate to return to winning ways.

Liverpool's excellent form has slowed somewhat over the last week or so, with home draws against Everton and West Brom pumping the brakes on their progress towards Champions League qualification.

Bournemouth's run of form is more concerning, with The Cherries currently on a five-game winless streak. It's almost a full calendar month since their last EPL win — a 4-0 home win against Huddersfield on Nov. 18 — and Eddie Howe's side has drawn three and lost two of their five outings since.

Here’s a quickfire guide to everything you need to know ahead of this Sunday's late televised game.

MATCH ODDS

Bournemouth vs. Liverpool
+525 Bournemouth
+360 Draw
-215 Liverpool

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Bournemouth is a relative newcomer in the Premier League, so the two sides have only ever met four times before in the EPL and, as you'd probably expect, the Merseyside outfit has had the edge in the games played between the pair. Indeed, the two sides have met just 11 times in all competitions, with Liverpool holding the clear advantage, with a record of seven wins, three draws and one loss.

Liverpool has won two of the four previous EPL matches against Bournemouth, but it managed to pick up a solitary point against The Cherries last season, with Bournemouth winning a 4-3 thriller at Dean Court last December, then holding the Reds to a 2-2 draw at Anfield in April.

On both occasions, late goals proved crucial for Bournemouth, which nicked a late equalizer at Anfield with an 87th-minute Josh King strike.

Bournemouth's ability to play for the full duration was even more prominent in its 4-3 win when they scored three goals in the last 14 minutes, including a 90th-minute winner from Nathan Ake, as they turned a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 win. If you think lightning could strike twice, a Bournemouth 4-3 win pays at odds of +12500.

RECENT EPL FORM

Bournemouth DLDDL
Liverpool: DWWDD

Liverpool's excellent form has slowed somewhat over the last week or so, with home draws against Everton and West Brom pumping the brakes on their progress towards Champions League qualification.

Bournemouth's run of form is more concerning, with The Cherries on a five-game winless streak. It's almost a full calendar month since their last EPL win — a 4-0 home win against Huddersfield on Nov. 18 — and Eddie Howe's side has drawn three and lost two of their five outings since.

With Bournemouth drawing three of their last five, and Liverpool drawing each of their last two, few people would be surprised if this game finished in a draw. price of +360 for a draw looks a little large, and therefore worth a look.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Liverpool's festive fixture list is littered with tricky matchups, and Klopp will be keen that his side heads into the Christmas period in winning form.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, hasn't been able to kick on after their 4-0 win over Huddersfield and instead have dropped back to narrow losses and draws as they've started to fall down the table.

Both sides have very different targets — Champions League qualification versus EPL safety — but both are in serious need of a win to help their respective causes.

THE MEN MOST LIKELY…

…to upset the visitors: Jermain Defoe
The Bournemouth hitman certainly knows where the net is when he plays Liverpool. He's scored three goals in his last three games against the Reds. He's +800 to open the scoring this weekend, and a +225 shot to find the net at any time during the game.

…to score first: Mohamed Salah
The Mo Salah bandwagon continues to roll, and the Egyptian finisher continues to lead the EPL's scoring charts with 13. He's the books' favorite to open the scoring at Dean Court, priced at +300. He's certainly in form, having hit five goals in his last six games in all competitions, and 20 goals already this season.

…to chop and change his side and drop points: Jürgen Klopp
A BBC stat claims the Liverpool boss has made a staggering 65 changes to his team in the EPL this season, 23 more than any other side. When Liverpool are full strength, they're a tough match for any side, but the chopping and changing means that the players may be well-rested, but they're arguably not playing regularly enough. Should Liverpool have more points than they do now? Yes. Could it be down to Klopp's rotation policy? Quite possibly.

THE PICK

The value play here is undoubtedly the draw. Bournemouth's form may not be outstanding by any means, but they have shown a certain level of resilience, even in their loss at Manchester United in their last outing.

Liverpool can be a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde outfit at times, and that's not helped by Klopp's tendency to over-rotate his lineups. Liverpool has the firepower to go to a side like Bournemouth and come away with a comfortable win, but this looks like the type of fixture where the Reds tend to slip up.

Games between the two sides have been close encounters over the last 12 months, and with both teams showing a penchant for playing out stalemates in recent weeks, the +360 available for a draw looks like an attractive price.

PICK:
The Draw at +360

[Image Credit: Matthew Jackson, Wikimedia Commons]

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