Liverpool v Bournemouth Could be Season-Defining

The match against Ipswich Town played out much the way most people will have expected. OK, not many people will have expected the Tractor Boys to get a goal, but the Reds had to concede from a set-piece eventually. It was a comfortable win for a Liverpool side that barely got out of second-gear, which is exactly what we will have wanted given the stresses and strains of the weeks to come. Arguably the most important performance was that of Dominik Szoboszlai, who has been on the precipice of a breakthrough without really doing enough to impress at times recently. The midfielder got the opening goal and proved just how important his engine is to a midfield unit that dovetails perfectly when it’s at its best. Alisson Becker also proved that he was back to his pre-injury level with a couple of excellent saves in the second-half.

As the Reds were all but strolling to a comfortable 4-1 win at home, Arsenal were toiling in Wolverhampton. Remarkably, the trip to the Midlands was the first time that the Gunners have played outside of the Greater London area since the end of November. Alright, one of the games was in Brighton, but the players will still have slept in their own beds that night. That Liverpool have played just eight games on Merseyside during the same period is something that few people seem to be taking into account during discussions around the title-chase. It is slightly disrespectful but also entirely accurate to say that Ipswich were exactly the palate cleanser that the Reds needed ahead of a tricky run of games, with Arne Slot able to use the Champions League game as a chance to ensure everyone is ticking over nicely for the visit to the South Coast.

Bournemouth Are a Team on Fire

I believe that there is an extent to which getting a result out of Liverpool hits teams for six. Manchester United celebrate a draw at Anfield as though it put them top of the table rather than cemented their place in the middle of it, losing to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford not long after. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, were being spoken of as potential title-challengers when they somehow managed to fluke their way to a 1-1 draw at home against the Reds, scraped to a win at home to Southampton and then took a tonking from the Cherries yesterday. Even so, what Andoni Iraola has got them doing this season is worthy of immense respect. Given the fact that Forest defeated us at home, it would be churlish to suggest that a 5-0 win against them is anything other than hugely impressive. They are a team to be admired and feared in equal measure.

Blimey, are Bournemouth the new Nottingham Forest?! 5-0!!!

— Greg Jenner (@gregjenner.bsky.social) 26 January 2025 at 01:04

If the game had taken place in isolation then it would be easy to assume that it was just a one-off or that Forest had had a bad day at the office. Unfortunately for Liverpool, however, it was anything but. The Reds, of course, failed to beat Newcastle United in spite of the fact that they were ahead in the dying moments of the game. Bournemouth made no such mistake against the Saudi Arabian-owned outfit, winning 4-1 at St James’ Park. They also defeated Everton, leading to Sean Dyche’s sacking and the arrival of David Moyes, with the former Blues boss unexpectedly turning them into world-beaters. In other words, this is a real-deal team that Liverpool will have to take extremely seriously if they want to get anything out of. Turn up with even the slightest degree of complacency and the Reds could easily find themselves on the end of a bruising defeat.

It Could Set the Remainder of the Season up Perfectly

Of course, the thing about playing teams with a degree of form and obvious ability is that a win can be just as much of a positive influence as a defeat could be a negative one. The Cherries enjoyed a 2-0 win over Arsenal earlier in the season, albeit with the London side having had a man sent off. If Liverpool can go the Vitality and leave with all three points then it sends a message to the Gunners that we have no intention of letting them back into the title race. This is an opportunity to make a statement that will lay the groundwork for the rest of the season. No, this isn’t like title-races against Manchester City in which you have to be pratically perfect throughout and any slip can feel catastrophic, but it remains important to keep the foot on the throat of your nearest challengers and offer them no hope. We want to make Mikel Arteta feel like the Champions League is his only realistic path to glory.

The next few games are not easy for Liverpool. Everton have found some form at just the wrong time, with Goodison Park liable to be bouncing in our night game there. Similarly Manchester City have decided that they do know how to play football after all, just as we’re about to head to the Etihad. With Newcastle United completing an annoying sports-washing double-header, the Reds have to go into this period looking and feeling as good as possible. Bournemouth will obviously present a test, but also an opportunity. If Liverpool are serious about winning this title then it’s time to put a marker down and get points on the board. There is little doubt that Arsenal will be seeing our upcoming run as their chance to get back into the title-race, so we need to ensure that we give them zero encouragement. We are an incredibly good team. Now it’s time to prove it.

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