REUTERS/Peter Powell
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola heads back to Bournemouth this weekend seeking to extend his remarkable Premier League unbeaten run, the Spaniard last tasting defeat in the top flight against Arsenal in early January.
It's not quite been the start to life at Anfield he'd have wanted, yet even so, that streak of results is still deserving of praise, having started this run with a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the Vitality Stadium.
The match-winner on that occasion was a certain Antoine Semenyo, the Ghanaian bowing out on his final Cherries appearance by netting in stoppage-time against the Lilywhites.
antoine-semenyo-bournemouth
Subsequently snapped up by Manchester City, Semenyo certainly has Iraola to thank for his remarkable rise on the south coast, with his tale one that those on Merseyside will be keen to replicate this season.
Why Semenyo rise is Iraola's biggest coaching success so far
As Jamie Carragher noted in this week's Telegraph column, it is remarkable the Reds have spent over £700m of late and yet still dealt Iraola a bad hand, the 44-year-old inheriting an unbalanced, almost depleted squad at Anfield.
REUTERS/Phil Noble
If there's any man who can enjoy success regardless, it is Iraola, however, the former Bournemouth coach notably thriving even after seeing his squad ripped up at the Vitality, including even after the sale of Semenyo.
Equally too, the work he did to transform so many into superstars at his former club, including the likes of Dean Huijsen and Eli Junior Kroupi, is to his credit, with there no better example than the rise of Semenyo.
Semenyo Bournemouth stats (timeless)
Previously a star of the Championship at Bristol City, the London-born speedster hadn't really exploded at Premier League level initially, after signing in January 2023, with it taking the arrival of Iraola later that year for a real uplift to be seen.
His first league goal of 2023/24 actually came away at Anfield, having only scored once in the tail-end of 2022/23, with his first full top-flight campaign ending with eight goals in all.
A further 11 followed the year after, while the 26-year-old also started last season in a rich vein of form to seal his marquee move to the Etihad, his overall record standing at 44 goal involvements in 99 games under Iraola's watch.
No Bournemouth player scored more goals than Semenyo (31) during Iraola's time in charge too, further evidence of just what a perfect partnership it was.
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Iraola's Top Scorers at Bournemouth*
Player
Semenyo
Kluivert
Solanke
Evanilson
Tavernier
Kroupi
Ouatarra
Brooks
Scott
*all competitions
Thankfully, that managerial magic is already paying off on Merseyside.
Why Iraola might have already found his new Semenyo at Liverpool
It's not quite clicked into gear as yet, but there is something refreshing about Iraola's approach, with Liverpool's crop of wingers already looking like the key beneficiaries.
Arsenal-Premier-League-Bukayo-Saka
In an era of such rigid tactics and systems, what really stands out about this new regime is how fluid Iraola is with regard to his wide men, deploying players on either side to great effect.
In Bradley Barcola, Victor Munoz, Ruo Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo, he appears to have found four players who can seemingly flourish on either flank, ensuring the Reds certainly won't be predictable this season.
antoine-semenyo-bournemouth
The beauty of Semenyo on the south coast was his ability to prove just as devastating on the left as he was on the right, with that man Gakpo looking like the biggest success story in that regard this term.
A polarising figure on Merseyside, the Dutchman looked to be down and out heading into the summer window, with rumours rife regarding a potential move to Tottenham Hotspur.
Further speculation also suggested that he was a target for rivals Manchester City, with the addition of the £123m-rated Barcola set to further hamper his game time.
As it is, Gakpo has arguably been the shining light in recent weeks, hailed by The Athletic's Duncan Alexander - speaking on the Totally Football Show - as Liverpool's "player of the season" so far.
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
He was the man who dragged the Reds back into the game against Newcastle United, having also supplied a sumptuous assist from the right against Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
The 27-year-old combined with Alexander Isak again for both goals away at Ipswich Town, the second assist on the night having been a delightful trivela pass to unleash the Swede in behind.
Liverpool's number 18 was again at the centre of their key moments against Spurs in midweek too, rifling in himself to make it 2-0, prior to providing a dinked pass for Dominik Szoboszlai to lash home the clincher.
The man with the armband at the end of the game, Gakpo's turnaround has been remarkable in recent weeks, already looking like Iraola's most consistent performer, just as Semenyo was on the south coast.
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
The Basque boss turned the Ghanaian into arguably one of the best wingers or forwards in the Premier League back at Bournemouth, let's hope Gakpo can reach a similar level of consistency at Anfield.
He's certainly started well this season, that's for sure.