Liverpool vs. AFC Bournemouth: Match Preview, Team News, and Ways to Watch

Prior to Bournemouth's arrival in the Premier League, there was no more coveted manager in the Championship than Eddie Howe. The rookie coach, who guided his team to commendable losses against Liverpool twice in the last two seasons, topped the table of England's second division last season with the most refreshing brand of attacking football in the division. Now, though, they're mixing it up where the big boys play, and they'll have to keep their wits about them if they are to avoid the drop.

For Liverpool, their success or failure this campaign hinges on the ability of Christian Benteke to bury the chances that come his way, and the Belgian target man will be desperate for his first Anfield goal having failed to find the net at the Britannia last week. He won't find many defenses as stringent as Stoke's though, and so the imposing striker - who has averaged a goal every two games since arriving in the Premier League with Aston Villa - will be looking to get off the mark in front of his new home supporters.

It is the first league meeting between the two clubs in football league history, and a further narrative that will be pushed is Eddie Howe's relationship with Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers. As the story goes, during his time at the helm of Swansea City, Rodgers invited the rookie manager to exchange tactical ideas and coaching methods. He isn't quite the father figure being pushed by the media, but Howe will no doubt be looking to outwit his former mentor, and his Bournemouth side have already demonstrated the attacking intent to foil Rodgers' Reds if they aren't as defensively astute as they were against Stoke City.

Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Mignolet
Clyne / Skrtel / Lovren / Gomez
Henderson / Milner
Firmino / Coutinho / Lallana
Benteke

Fans will be wondering whether marquee signing Roberto Firmino will make his first start for the club having impressed as a substitute last time out, but manager Brendan Rodgers has remained coy on the situation. The Northern Irishman insisted through the week that he doesn't see any reason to change a winning formula, but exceptions could and should be made in the case of such a quality acquisition. It's more likely to be Jordon Ibe that makes way, if anybody, but perhaps Adam Lallana could see his role diminished after not particularly covering himself in glory against Stoke City.

Other than that, there doesn't appear to be any reason to change up the rest of the lineup who defended so admirably last weekend. They may not have played the flashiest football, but leaving the Britannia to avenge their thrashing last season was undoubtedly the priority. While doubts still remain regarding Dejan Lovren, it would be extremely unfair to the Croatian to oust him from the starting eleven after leaving Stoke with his head held high. This is in spite of the fact that Mamadou Sakho is seemingly a far better option to partner Martin Skrtel at the back, which again casts doubts on his Anfield future amid speculation of a loan bid from Roma.

Kickoff is set for 8:00PM BST/3:00PM EST, with coverage from Sky Sports in the UK and NBCSN in the US. We'll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it's released, our live matchday thread and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on all the action as it happens.