Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League clash between Bournemouth and Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium.
The hosts come into this contest sitting seventh in the table after 15 games, having ended a four-match losing streak with victory over Huddersfield Town in midweek.
Liverpool, meanwhile, could move above Manchester City to the top of the standings with victory here, having made their best-ever start to a top-flight campaign.
Make sure you don't miss a moment of the action courtesy of our minute-by-minute updates below.
This has been a fixture laden with goals in recent years so we should be in for an entertaining contest today, with both sides enjoying impressive campaigns so far. Victory could be particularly important for Liverpool, who would pile the pressure on Man City ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge later today.
Let's start with a look at the team news...
We'll start by looking at the visitors, who once again make changes as Jurgen Klopp looks to keep his side fresh ahead of a big week next week.
There is something of a defensive injury problem with Joe Gomez having fractured his leg and Lovren still sidelined with concussion, which means that Matip once again partners Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the back four today.
Andrew Robertson returns from a dead leg on the opposite flank in what looks like a 4-3-3 formation, although Klopp has experimented with a few different systems already this season.
Firmino has a very good record against Bournemouth, having been directly involved in five goals in his last five Premier League appearances against the Cherries, scoring three and setting up two more.
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There could also be a little slice of history for Alisson too, with the Liverpool goalkeeper bidding to become the first player to avoid defeat in his first 16 Premier League games for the club.
Wilson has both scored and assisted a goal in three different Premier League games this season - no player has managed more - while he has found the back of the net eight times in his 15 league games, already equalled his tally from the whole of last season.
He will be sorely missed today.
Ten of Bournemouth's last 11 league goals have either been scored or assisted by either Wilson or Fraser, and the latter has now provided seven assists in the top flight so far this season. No Bournemouth player has ever managed more in a single top-flight campaign.
King should also get support from the impressive David Brooks arriving from midfield, so even in the absence of Wilson there are plenty of players who could cause problems for Liverpool this afternoon.
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Those two enforced changes are the only ones Eddie Howe has made from the midweek win over Huddersfield, though, with Stanislas and Surman the men to come in for Wilson and Cook.
As with every campaign, the Cherries will have begun 2018-19 with their main goal being to stay in the division for another season. After 15 games, they are already more than halfway to the 40-point mark, so things are certainly looking promising in that regard.
The Cherries are currently seventh in the table and would move up to sixth temporarily if they avoid defeat here, sitting pretty 14 points clear of the bottom three.
A recent four-match losing streak would have rammed the point home if Bournemouth had begun to get ahead of themselves, giving them perhaps a timely warning after losing just two of their opening 10 league games this season.
Still, the most important thing was getting the win to stop the rot, and should they back that up with a shock triumph here then it would be successive league wins for the first time since early October.
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The Cherries would still be sixth in the table if only home form counted, though, having picked up more points and scored more goals in front of their own fans than the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United.
In all competitions Howe's side have scored in 10 of their last 11 outings home and away, but they have also conceded in each of their last six, so there is a balance for them to strike. Two more goals scored today, though, would see them reach 100 in the Premier League at the Vitality Stadium.
Considering they also faced Manchester United and Arsenal in November, it makes for a rotten run of fixtures, particularly considering they have lost each of their last seven matches against members of the 'big six'.
Indeed, Liverpool have produced one of the greatest seasons in the history of English football so far this term, but they have understandably been overshadowed by Manchester City, who have been even better than Jurgen Klopp's side.
Indeed, only six teams in the entire 130-year history of English top-flight football have ever had a better points tally after 15 games (based on three points for a win), but it just so happens that one of those have managed it this season too.
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City face a difficult trip to Stamford Bridge later today, and having been forced to react to the champions' results with wins over Everton and Burnley in the past week, Liverpool should relish the chance to put the pressure on Guardiola's side for a change.
Liverpool themselves have never managed it, but Wednesday's come-from-behind victory over Burnley at Turf Moor leaves them on the brink of a little slice of history.
No team has ever conceded fewer at this stage of a top-flight season, and only four teams have ever matched that miserly total - Man Utd in 1985-86, Arsenal in 1990-91, Chelsea in 2004-05 and Chelsea again in 2008-09. Bournemouth fans will still remember their incredible comeback win over Liverpool here two years ago, but this is a much sturdier Reds outfit now.
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The Reds have won their last four league outings since the beginning of November and boast a 100% record against teams outside the top five this term, with their only dropped points coming in draws against Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal.
Indeed, only Spurs have picked up more Premier League points on their travels this season, although five of the six goals they have conceded have also come away from home.
This fixture usually provides goals, although Liverpool do not ship as many as they have in the past when coming up against Bournemouth. It is a potential banana skin for the visitors today, but we're backing them to come away with all three points as they seem well suited to playing against Bournemouth.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Bournemouth 1-3 Liverpool
These Bournemouth supporters will never forget that solitary triumph, though, coming from 2-0 and 3-1 down to secure a dramatic 4-3 win over Liverpool in December 2016.
Most recently the front three were all on the scoresheet in a 3-0 triumph at Anfield in April, while Liverpool's last visit to this stadium - again in December - saw them run out 4-0 winners with Coutinho, Lovren, Salah and Firmino all getting in on the act.
Bournemouth were allowed 43 shots in their first three league games against Liverpool, while facing 47, but in their last three they have had just 20 to Liverpool's 61.
BOURNEMOUTH STARTING XI: Begovic; Francis, S Cook, Ake, Daniels; Stanislas, Surman, Brooks, Lerma, Fraser; King
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Alisson; Fabinho, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Milner, Wijnaldum, Keita; Shaqiri, Firmino, Salah
Firmino hits a bouncing ball from 25 yards out which is moving, buyt should be pushed away by Begovic. Instead, the Bournemouth keeper can only parry it back out into a dangerous area, where Salah is waiting to tuck the rebound home.
First blood to the visitors!
.@MoSalah has scored in all 3⃣ apps v Bournemouth and becomes the fastest @LFC player to reach 4⃣0⃣ @premierleague goals for the club pic.twitter.com/7TBGv1r7Gs— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 8, 2018
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL
Firmino hits one from range and Begovic parries it straight into the path of Mo Salah.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League or follow here: https://t.co/gCPPirCr0K pic.twitter.com/Im7mpzfoUP— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 8, 2018
7 - Mohamed Salah has now scored the opening goal of the game on seven occasions in the Premier League this season, at least two more times than any other player. Sharp. #BOULIV pic.twitter.com/tgrcTj0K8s
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 8, 2018
Bournemouth are still in this game with the one-goal deficit, but they have been disappointing so far and Eddie Howe will want to see a lot more from his side in the coming 45 minutes.
Even so, it was an avoidable goal from the home side's point of view, with Begovic parrying Firmino's initial long-range effort out into a dangerous area. Salah was alert and followed in to tuck his finish past the keeper.
Brooks has forced a smart save from Alisson at the near post, while King and Surman have also threatened. Liverpool, meanwhile, can only really point to a sliced Salah effort for their only other opening despite seeing so much of the ball.
The Reds are a lot better at controlling games now than they have been in the past, but a one-goal lead is never truly safe in football. An early goal in the second half would be exactly what Klopp wants.
Firmino gives the ball to the Egyptian, who only has Ake separating him from Begovic. Steve Cook fails with an attempted trip from behind, with Salah keeping his footing before advancing to the edge of the box and picking out the bottom corner.
DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR SALAH
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 8, 2018
Firmino puts Salah one on one with Nathan Ake, and it's Salah who comes out on top before slotting it into the bottom corner.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League or follow here: https://t.co/gCPPirCr0K pic.twitter.com/MYrGnJ5nEj
In the top 5 European Leagues, only @TeamMessi has scored more league goals than @MoSalah since the start of last season
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 8, 2018
4️⃣3️⃣ Lionel Messi
4️⃣1️⃣ Mo Salah
3️⃣9️⃣ Harry Kane
⚽️⚽️ It is his 1st brace in an away game since Nov 2017 v Stoke pic.twitter.com/Aw2botqabF
Robertson whips a cross into the box which Cook has to try to deal with, but he somehow backheel flicks it into his own net. At the other end you'd say it was a moment of genius, but like his teammate Lerma a few weeks ago it is a wonder goal at the wrong end!
The Egyptian shows incredible pace to beat Cook to the ball, leaving him clean through on goal. He takes the ball past Begovic, but then cuts back and beats the keeper again for good measure before dribbling the ball closer to goal and poking it past two defenders on the line. Outrageous from Salah!
Liverpool move top of the Premier League table with a resounding 4-0 victory over Bournemouth which sees Mohamed Salah steal the show with a hat-trick. The first may not have stood with VAR in place, but the second two were really good solo efforts and Bournemouth had no answer for him.
The other goal came via a Steve Cook own goal as he turned the ball past Begovic in some style.
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's early Premier League kickoff as Liverpool thrash Bournemouth courtesy of Mo Salah's hat-trick, moving top of the table in the process. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
