Liverpool could take another step towards cementing their place in next season's Champions League when they host Bournemouth at Anfield on Wednesday night.

The Reds are coming off the back of a 3-1 victory over Merseyside rivals Everton, while Bournemouth had a derby of their own on Saturday as they drew 0-0 with Southampton.

Liverpool

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With bragging rights once again secured on Merseyside, Liverpool must now turn their attention to wrapping up a top-four finish and returning to the Champions League.

Last weekend proved to be a good one for Jurgen Klopp's side as results went their way, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal all dropping points to help the Reds climb up to third in the table and six points clear of fifth place.

The 3-1 triumph over Everton came at a price, though, with Sadio Mane - arguably Liverpool's star player this season - picking up an injury that could see him miss the remainder of the campaign. It is a blow that adds to Liverpool's mounting injury concerns which could in turn expose a lack of depth in their squad during the run-in.

The upside for the Reds is that their run-in looks much kinder on paper than those of the teams around them. Every other club in the top six has two more matches against another top-six side, whereas Liverpool's remaining eight games all come against clubs outside the top seven.

That being said, Klopp may prefer things the other way round. Liverpool's last six Premier League defeats have come against teams who have started the match in the bottom half of the table, and four of their five losses this season came at the hands of sides who began the day in the relegation zone.

Bournemouth are the exception to that, but Liverpool will still be scarred by their damaging and dramatic defeat in the reverse fixture between these two sides as their defensive frailties were explosively exposed.

Klopp will be hoping that it is a different story at Anfield, where Liverpool have won four consecutive league games for the first time under the German and are bidding to make it five on the bounce for the first time since April 2014.

Only Tottenham Hotspur have amassed more points in front of their own fans than Liverpool this season, with the Reds having scored a league-high 39 home goals in the process, while the January loss to Swansea City is their only defeat in their last 23 Premier League games at Anfield.

Klopp's side have kept just one clean sheet in 11 league games since the turn of the year, though, and should they allow Bournemouth to build momentum on Merseyside then they know first-hand what can happen.

Recent form: WLWWDW

Bournemouth

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In a season of ups and downs for Bournemouth, Eddie Howe will look back on their 4-3 win over Liverpool in December as the highlight so far.

Indeed, it may well be the one match which stands out above all others in their short Premier League history, taking the scalp of one of the division's big boys in exhilarating fashion.

However, Bournemouth went on to lose nine and win just two of their next 14 matches across all competitions - a run of form which even raised tentative questions regarding the future of Howe.

It was a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford which snapped the Cherries out of that malaise, though, and Howe will hope to extend his side's unbeaten run to five matches at another one of the league's great venues on Wednesday night.

Bournemouth have only ever gone five Premier League games unbeaten once before, but they come into this match in good form following wins over West Ham United and Swansea City before their goalless draw with south coast rivals Southampton on Saturday.

In truth, the Cherries should have made it three wins in a row at St Mary's, but Adam Smith struck the woodwork and Harry Arter blazed a penalty into orbit as the visitors failed to make the most of their chances.

It was a rare case of profligacy on Bournemouth's part, with the Cherries having scored more goals than any side outside the top seven - and the same number as fifth-placed Manchester United - this season.

On the flip side, only two teams have conceded more goals than Bournemouth so, in a match against a Liverpool team that has seen both sides score in a league-high 21 of their 30 games this season, we can expect goals at Anfield.

The Cherries could keep a third consecutive clean sheet for the first time in their Premier League history, but Manchester United are the only visiting team to have stopped Liverpool from scoring at home in the league under Klopp so Howe may be forced to rely on his attackers for a positive result.

Even accounting for their recent upturn in form, though, anything other than a Bournemouth defeat would be something of a shock in this one - they are winless in seven away games so far in 2017 and have won just two of their last 17 league outings on the road.

Recent form: LLDWWD

Team News

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Klopp was unable to confirm whether Mane will definitely miss the rest of the season, but Liverpool will be without their top-scorer for this match and in all likelihood the foreseeable future too due to a knee injury.

The winger joins captain Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana on the sidelines, but Liverpool could be boosted by the return of Daniel Sturridge, who has returned to training having been absent since February.

Divock Origi, who came off the bench to complete the scoring against Everton on Saturday, is expected to replace the injured Mane, while Klopp looks to have little option but to start both Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino for the second time in four days despite their recent exploits on international duty.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, will be without Andrew Surman after he suffered knee ligament damage against Southampton, which could see Jack Wilshere return to the starting XI.

Howe has no other injury concerns, but Tyrone Mings is still unavailable as he serves the fourth match of his five-game ban.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner; Can, Lucas, Wijnaldum; Firmino, Origi, Coutinho

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Boruc; Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels; Arter, Gosling, Fraser, Wilshere, Pugh; King

Head To Head

Bournemouth's last-gasp 4-3 triumph in the reverse fixture was their first ever win over Liverpool at the 10th attempt.

However, the Cherries have lost all four of their previous visits to Anfield, conceding 10 goals and scoring just twice in the process.

Bournemouth made two trips to Anfield last season, losing 1-0 on both occasions, while the 11 goals in the three Premier League games between these two clubs have all been scored by different players.

We say: Liverpool 3-1 Bournemouth

Liverpool are beginning to find their form again after a shaky start to 2017 and, while they have generally struggled more against teams in the bottom half, their record at Anfield this season is formidable. The statistics suggest that we will see goals in this one, and we're backing the league's top scorers to come out on top.

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