'All the time': Andoni Iraola shares what it's really like managing a team against Liverpool at Anfield
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Liverpool are back in Premier League action on Saturday and in need of a win against Bournemouth.
The Reds were defeated last time out in the league, surprisingly losing to Nottingham Forest.
Like the match-up with the Cherries, that game was also at Anfield, signalling the first home loss of the Arne Slot era.
It was a huge disappointment for the Liverpool head coach, who will have been dreaming of a similarly impetrative home record as Jurgen Klopp earned with the Reds.
But while Klopp managed to take charge of four full seasons unbeaten at the famous old stadium, Slot has already seen the possibility of another undefeated term at Anfield fall away.
On Saturday, Andoni Iraola will be looking to hand the Dutchman back-to-back home defeats, something that very rarely happened to Klopp at all. But heading into the game, the Bournemouth boss has sounded a warning about Liverpool’s iconic ground.
Andoni Iraloa makes Anfield point
There is positivity back in Liverpool after they beat AC Milan on Tuesday. Had that game gone against the Reds, there would have been a sour atmosphere at Anfield for Saturday’s game.
As it is, there should be confidence that Liverpool will get the job done and beat Iraola’s side.
But the Reds should not underestimate the Basque and his team. Bournemouth gave Liverpool a good game at Anfield last season, even going ahead in the third minute.
Liverpool ultimately came back to win the game 3-1, though a red card for Alexis Mac Allister made life awkward.
READ MORE: Paul Merson tells Arne Slot who he should start against Bournemouth… Diogo Jota or Darwin Nunez
That was just Iraola’s second match in charge of Bournemouth and his first experience as a coach at Anfield. But speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, it was clear that it had left a mark on him.
“At Anfield you feel even if you play well, there are minutes you feel the pressure all the time,” said the 42-year-old.
“There’s a corner, a free-kick, they shoot, your ‘keeper saves one and you have some minutes where, woof, you feel like you are in trouble.
“We need to have the defensive solidity to not panic in these moments and wait for our moments because I’m sure we will have our moments.”
Team news for Liverpool
Liverpool need to make sure they get back to winning ways in front of their own supporters on Saturday.
While a shock, one loss against a lower level of opposition at home can be tolerated by the crowd, but two in back-to-back games would not be.
Although there’s no suggestion that Slot would be in any kind of trouble if he loses this one, it would certainly put the pressure on him.
Unfortunately, Liverpool’s life is set to be that little bit harder after the news that Alisson Becker is injured and unlikely to face Bournemouth.
The goalkeeper joins Harvey Elliott in missing the game, with the rest of the Liverpool squad given a full bill of health.
