Dugout Discussion – Bournemouth vs Liverpool

After Man United squeezed past West Brom at The Hawthorns, we now make our way to the Vitality Stadium as Bournemouth entertain Liverpool at 4.30pm.

Owners of Mohamed Salah, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino can breathe a sigh of relief as all three continue in the visitors’ XI. But Sadio Man’s Fantasy stock goes from bad to worse as he drops to the bench for the third time in six Gameweeks.

The top scoring player in Fantasy Premier League, Salah was selected as the number one captain for the first time this season, handed the armband by 20.9% of managers.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have struggled for goals at Anfield of late, netting just once at home to Everton and failing to find a way past West Brom.

Yet Salah’s form on the road – 33 points in his last three away outings – bodes well for the Merseysiders.

Similarly, Coutinho has flourished on his travels, bagging three sets of double-digits in his previous four road trips, while Firmino – sold by 79,000+ heading into Gameweek 18 – served up 13 points at Brighton in his last away appearance.

They’ll also by buoyed by the Bournemouth defensive numbers in front of their own fans – Eddie Howe’s side are ranked third worst for shots conceded in the box (72) and fifth bottom for attempts against (117).

The visitors’ defensive displays away from Anfield offers encouragement for the Cherries, though, as they look to replicate last season’s 4-3 win in the corresponding fixture.

Only two teams – Stoke and Palace – have conceded more big chances away from home than Liverpool’s 23, though both have played nine times on their travels to the Merseysiders’ eight.

That could be good news for Jermain Defoe, then – he returns to the hosts XI, having scored twice against Palace in his previous start in Gameweek 16.