Liverpool Goalkeeper Alisson Doubtful for Bournemouth Clash

Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker © GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker © GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
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Liverpool Goalkeeper Alisson Doubtful for Bournemouth Clash

Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker © GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Liverpool's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker © GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has revealed the club's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker is a doubt for Saturday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth.

Alisson aggravated a hamstring injury that had been troubling him for several weeks during Tuesday's Champions League win at AC Milan.

The Brazil international has played every match for Liverpool this season, keeping three clean sheets in five games in all competitions, and his absence would be a blow to title-chasing Liverpool, AFP reported.

Ireland keeper Caoimhin Kelleher would likely deputise for Alisson if the 31-year-old cannot face Bournemouth at Anfield this weekend.

"Alisson is still a doubt if he can train today and if he can't, probably won't play. He has a slight issue with one of his muscles," Slot told reporters on Friday.

"We wonder if this game tomorrow is coming too early or not. He didn't take it from the Milan game, it happened a bit before, but after the Milan game he felt it more.

"Now we have to wait and see if he is ready to be in goal tomorrow or wait a few extra days."

With Liverpool in the middle of a gruelling run of seven games in 22 days, Alisson spoke ahead of the Milan game about his concern over the increased workload players face with the expansion of the Champions League.

"What we want is to give our best for the football. If you are tired you cannot compete at a high level," Alisson said in Milan.

"I want to give my best in all the games I play but we need a solution. It does not look like we are close to a good solution for football's sake and players' sake."

Slot acknowledged it is important to consider the health of players, given the extra burden placed on them by the schedule.

"We are thinking about what's to come, we are aware of the fact it's a long season," he said.

"The main difference with the Premier League to Europe is we have to play at Christmas and New Year.

"We need a lot of players and we take that into account when making a line-up."



Liverpool Comes up Short against Forest Again in Premier League as Man City’s Fallibility Returns

 Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP)
Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP)
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Liverpool Comes up Short against Forest Again in Premier League as Man City’s Fallibility Returns

 Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP)
Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood greets fans at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground stadium in Nottingham, England, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP)

Liverpool will be glad to see the back of Nottingham Forest.

Two games against the big surprise of the Premier League season have yielded just one point for the leaders after their 1-1 draw at Forest’s rocking City Ground on Tuesday.

Liverpool has lost only once in 20 games so far this campaign — and that was 1-0 at home to Forest in September.

Four months later, Diogo Jota scored with a header from a corner in the 66th minute — just 22 seconds after coming on as a substitute — to earn Liverpool a draw that maintained its six-point cushion over Forest, which moved into second place in its improbable bid to qualify for the Champions League. And who knows, maybe more.

Forest was on course to record an unlikely home-and-away double over Arne Slot’s team after top scorer Chris Wood scored in the eighth minute.

Liverpool piled on the pressure late on but again failed to defeat Forest, which started the season more likely to be in a relegation battle than competing for the title.

"Before the season we needed to get as quickly as possible to 40 points," Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels said, referring to the total that typically is enough to guarantee safety. "With 17 games to go, we have got 41 so we can look a little bit higher."

Forest’s fans goaded Slot at times in a febrile atmosphere at the City Ground that hasn’t been this bouncing for a generation. The good times look to be back at a club that was famously European champions in back-to-back years under managerial great Brian Clough, in 1979 and '80.

Liverpool has a game in hand over Forest so is still in a strong position to win a record-tying 20th English league title. Arsenal is in third place, a further point back, and can trim the gap to Liverpool to four points by beating Tottenham in the north London derby on Wednesday.

"If we continue bringing performances like in the second half today," Slot said, "then we will not always be that unlucky that it ends with a draw."

City's fallibility returns

Manchester City showed more late-game fallibility in squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Brentford.

City conceded in the 82nd minute and again two minutes into stoppage time after Phil Foden scored twice for the struggling champions, who are battling to simply qualify for the Champions League this season.

Prior to winning its last two league games against Leicester and West Ham, City had won just one in nine to drop out of the Champions League qualification positions. During that poor run, City conceded two late goals to lose to Manchester United while also throwing away a three-goal lead late in a 3-3 draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League.

"We have to manage (games) a little bit better," City manager Pep Guardiola said, "but today was not bad."

Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard were the scorers for Brentford to leave City in sixth place.

Last-gasp equalizer for Chelsea

Chelsea salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth thanks to Reece James' free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time but saw its winless run in the league extend to five games.

Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead with a cheeky finish in the 13th minute for his 14th goal of the season, only for Bournemouth to respond as Antoine Semenyo won a penalty — converted by Justin Kluivert — and smashed home a rising finish in the 68th.

Chelsea stayed in fourth place — at least until fifth-place Newcastle plays on Wednesday.

Potter’s first win Graham Potter secured his first win as West Ham manager as his new team beat Fulham 3-2.

Carlos Soler and Tomas Soucek scored first-half goals before Lucas Paqueta grabbed the crucial third for West Ham, which brought in Potter last week as a replacement for the fired Julen Lopetegui.

Potter’s first match in charge was a defeat at Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday.

Alex Iwobi scored Fulham’s goals to make it 2-1 and then 3-2.

West Ham moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone with the victory.

Orient set for City in FA Cup Third-tier Leyton Orient set up a fourth-round match with Man City in the FA Cup next month by beating second-tier Derby 6-5 on penalties.