Liverpool's Edge Against Bournemouth: Wirtz Prepares for Key Match

Florian Wirtz believes Liverpool will walk into the Vitality Stadium on Sunday with a built‑in edge – their manager knows the opposition inside out.

Liverpool arrive on the south coast still unbeaten in the Premier League, chasing only their second win of the campaign after one victory and three draws from their opening four games. The performances have been steady rather than spectacular, but the sense inside the camp is that something is starting to build.

Andoni Iraola will be at the centre of it. This is his first meeting with Bournemouth since leaving the club, and Wirtz is convinced that familiarity can tilt the contest Liverpool’s way.

“We have to be very ready,” Wirtz told liverpoolfc.com. “I think the manager knows them really well, so maybe there's a small advantage we have – but we have to be ready and very focused for this game.”

That knowledge, the patterns, the triggers, the personalities in the Bournemouth squad – all of it feeds into Liverpool’s preparation. Any marginal gain matters in a league this tight.

Liverpool also travel with something more tangible: momentum. Iraola’s side are coming off a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday, a result that injected some much‑needed confidence into a stop‑start opening to the season.

Wirtz was not on the pitch that night. He watched from higher up in the stands, seeing the game from a different angle, feeling the surge from the crowd without being able to influence it.

“Of course, I'd rather be on the pitch!” he admitted. “But it was the first time I watched it from higher up in the stadium in the stands. It was nice to watch, and it was also a good win for us and for the mind. That definitely helps to build the momentum.”

That momentum now has to carry into the league, where Wirtz’s own campaign has yet to catch fire. The Germany international has just one assist in five Premier League appearances so far, a modest return for a player of his creative weight.

He is expected to return to the matchday squad against Marco Rose’s side and will be under no illusions: this is a chance to reset his season. Iraola has publicly kept faith with the 23‑year‑old, insisting he “should be judged like everyone else, whether he plays well or doesn't”.

The backing is there, but the bar is high. If the slow start drags on, the Spanish coach may have little choice but to look elsewhere.

For now, though, Wirtz walks into Bournemouth with a manager who knows the opposition, a team riding a cup win, and a point to prove. How long that “small advantage” lasts will depend on what he and Liverpool do with it on Sunday.