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It feels a bit like Liverpool's historic come-from-behind victory on Thursday should have been the explosive, bombastic end to the season. That it should have ended in silverware, champagne, and parades. But seven league games and at least two Europa League games still remain, and it's back to business on Sunday as Liverpool seek to continue their good form when they travel to Vitality Stadium to take on AFC Bournemouth for the third time this season.
The Cherries have had a fairly impressive first season in the top flight. They're eleventh in the table, despite having racked up a -15 goal difference, and will be looking to finish off the season in the top half of the league. Liverpool has come out on top in both their previous encounters this season. The first was all the way back in August when Liverpool squeaked past Bournemouth in the league by a slim 1-0 scoreline, thanks to an offside Christian Benteke goal, and only after Tommy Elphick had a goal harshly disallowed by the referee. The second match came in the League Cup -- another 1-0 that marked the first victory in Jürgen Klopp's reign as Liverpool manager. Six months ago these two sides were well-matched, so it will be fascinating to see them line up against each other again after Klopp's had time to settle in.
The big and bad Liverpool team news is that Emre Can will be out for at least a month after he went off injured on Thursday night. He would have been unable to play against Bournemouth regardless, due to his two game domestic ban, but now whoever replaces him on Sunday will be making a case to take Can's place for the forseeable future rather than just standing in for him for one match. The re-scheduled Liverpool derby also looms on Wednesday, giving Klopp another mid-week match to consider when he makes his team selection on Sunday.
Without Can or fellow midfielder Jordan Henderson, Allen should get the start in midfield, particularly after his game-changing substitute performance on Thursday. There may even be room for Lucas to start alongside him. One or both of Liverpool's unlikely center-back heroes, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren, may get a break in preparation for the Everton match.
Eddie Howe's side will be without Adam Smith, Benik Afobe, Tokelo Rantie, Harry Arter, and Junior Stanislas for this game, as well as Tyrone Mings, who has missed the whole of his debut season with a knee injury.
For Liverpool:
Mignolet
Clyne, Skrtel, Toure, Moreno
Lucas, Allen
Milner, Firmino, Ojo
Sturridge
Expect to see much the same team to the one that tore apart Stoke City last weekend. Lucas Leiva, after making his return on Thursday, could get his first start since his injury saw him sidelined in February, taking on the more defensive role alongside Allen, who has thrived under Klopp when given license to push forward. Christian Benteke, on the other hand, remains on the injury list, along with Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez, Jordan Rossiter, and Danny Ings.
Kickoff is set for 12:30PM BST/8:30AM EST Sunday. Television coverage will be on Premier League Extra Time in the United States. Elsewhere, Fox Sports 3 in Australia, Sportsnet World in Canada, Star Sports 2 Asia in India, SuperSport 5 Africa in Kenya, Astro SuperSport in Malaysia, and 103 (hd) mio Sports in Singapore are carrying the match. You can find other listings at LiveSoccerTV, though unfortunately for UK viewers, this is a match that isn't being made available. Online streaming is also available with NBC Live Sports Extra in the US. For Online radio, fans worldwide can check out LFCTV GO, BBC Radio 5 Live Extra, and TalkSport Radio World.
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.