Reborn Liverpool approach Cherries rematch with even loftier ambitions
It was win 1.0 for Liverpool 2.0. Jurgen Klopp’s term for his second team at Anfield could take on a greater significance if they win his second Premier League title. Triumph at Bournemouth on Sunday and they would have a five-point lead at the division’s summit. This season’s first victory came against Andoni Iraola’s team in August.
And in a campaign that has amounted to something of a voyage of discovery – not least for Klopp, who has admitted he does not yet know where Liverpool’s destination will be but is enjoying the journey – the themes of a season were revealed early.
Liverpool went, but showed their adaptability and doggedness to prevail anyway. They got goals from three attackers, and Klopp’s five main forwards have contributed 30 of their 43 top-flight strikes. Liverpool, whose first defeat of the season could have come when a goal or a man down to Bournemouth, have still only been beaten once in domestic competitions since April. It has been a dramatic shift in fortunes. After the trauma and troubles of last year, they acquired a confidence and momentum that has continued, sometimes in familiar fashion: Liverpool won with 10 men after trailing at Newcastle the following week. Suddenly, they had a springboard.
