Liverpool began their Premier League dwelling marketing campaign by coming from behind to beat Bournemouth on Saturday.
Quickfire objectives from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah worn out an early strike from Antoine Semenyo as Diogo Jota later netted after the Reds had been lowered to 10 males following Alexis Mac Allister’s purple card.
Liverpool will now look to land an early blow on certainly one of their rivals for a top-four place after they journey to Newcastle United subsequent Sunday.
And right here we look forward to the modifications Jurgen Klopp might make when his staff are subsequent in motion.
READ MORE: Liverpool cool curiosity in £90m midfielder as consideration turns to left-sided centre-back
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp delivers offended x-rated message as unseen Liverpool change emerges
Van Dijk instance
It was very a lot a story of two halves for the Liverpool defence in opposition to Bournemouth on Saturday, with a wayward exhibiting earlier than the break adopted by a a lot stronger effort within the second stanza.
Virgil van Dijk led by instance as captain and was aided by Ibrahima Konate, with the pair the clear first-choice centre-backs forward of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
Gomez, although, got here on at right-back on the weekend, and, with Conor Bradley nonetheless out, will probably be on standby ought to Trent Alexander-Arnold not get well from the knock that forced him off. Andy Robertson improved in opposition to Bournemouth and stays forward of Kostas Tsimikas at left-back, whereas Alisson Becker once more underlined why he’s primary between the sticks with Caoimhin Kelleher and Adrian behind him.
Mac Allister headache eased
Just when Klopp was gaining further midfield choices, so he has misplaced a major one in Mac Allister, an enchantment in opposition to his dismissal however.
Mac Allister had once more featured as quantity six, though with Stefan Bajcetic having returned to the bench after virtually 5 months out and new signing Wataru Endo taking part in the ultimate half-hour, Liverpool at the very least now have some selection within the place.
Klopp, although, will hope the ankle drawback that forced Curtis Jones to overlook out on Saturday is not severe, given Thiago Alcantara nonetheless wasn’t fairly prepared for involvement within the matchday squad.
Home debutant Dominik Szoboszlai was wonderful and has already nailed down a beginning function, with Harvey Elliott once more impressing with a late cameo. Cody Gakpo, nevertheless, as soon as extra discovered it troublesome pressed into a makeshift midfield function. Youngster James McConnell is one other different.
Gakpo poser
Liverpool now have the power to combine and match their ahead choices, though that Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah all scored in opposition to Bournemouth and put in an enormous second-half effort suggests they might take some shifting.
But Gakpo led the road impressively for a lot of the second half of final season and scored at Newcastle again in February. And with Darwin Nunez – who has now began solely two of Liverpool’s final 12 video games – having additionally netted at St James’ Park, Klopp might determine to call at the very least one of many duo within the entrance three, whether or not down the centre or on the left relying on the health of Diaz. who drained within the second half on Saturday.
Teenager Ben Doak was once more on the bench on the weekend and gives backup to Salah on the best.