Andoni Iraola has confirmed his Liverpool team to take on Bournemouth in the Premier League, with decisions made on Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister at the Vitality Stadium
Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo during Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham in September 2026.
Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo during Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham in September 2026.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola has confirmed his Liverpool starting XI to take on Bournemouth in the Premier League, with the Spaniard returning to the south coast side for the first time since leaving at the end of last season.
Alisson Becker is in goal, with Ronald Araujo, Jeremy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez lining up along the back four. Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister are in midfield.
Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are in attack, joined by Cody Gakpo and Bradley Barcola on the wings. Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha are among the options to call upon from the bench.
New Liverpool boss Iraola has won just one league game so far this term, away at newly-promoted Ipswich, while his Cherries successor, Marco Rose, has drawn three matches and lost once.
Iraola was asked about his return to Bournemouth in his pre-match press conference on Friday, insisting that his side will need to be "ruthless" in order to get the points.
"On the personal side, I’m really looking forward to meeting them, to hug them, it’s players that I love, staff that I have been working with, that I appreciate so much," he said.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Andoni Iraola manager of Liverpool gestures during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Fulham at Anfield on September 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola returns to Bournemouth with Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
"I was pushing for them yesterday when they were playing their first European game and I wish them all the best.
"But there is another part and that is the most important one right now: we need to go there and beat them and be as ruthless as possible. And leave all the talks for after the game."
Rose comes from the same school of coaching as Jurgen Klopp, and previously worked for the likes of Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig. Like Iraola, intensity is key.
"I don’t think they’ve changed too much, definitely not in terms of names," Iraola added. "You see mostly the same starting XI, very few changes. Basically, they lost Marcos Senesi and they’ve signed [Antonio] Silva that is a very similar kind of player.
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"The main ideas, the philosophy... I was lucky also to talk to Marco Rose before leaving. He hasn’t changed too much, they continue to be very dangerous and a very good team.
"It’s going to be a tricky one because they obviously know very well what we try to do, on the ball and without the ball. But I also have this advantage – I know their strengths, their weaknesses.
"It happened even in a smaller amount the other day (against Tottenham) because I had Senesi, Dom Solanke, players I’ve already coached and probably — like we all do — they talked to (Roberto) De Zerbi, now it’s going to be with Marco Rose, about the things that we look into.
"In this case, it’s going to be strange for me. I don’t know if it’s a big advantage or a disadvantage, but it’s going to be different."