Iraola prepares for Bournemouth return amid Liverpool's draw habit

Andoni Iraola returns to face his former club Bournemouth this weekend, with Liverpool's early-season form under the new head coach defined by a string of draws. The champions have taken just six points from their opening four Premier League fixtures, leaving them eighth in the table and six points behind leaders Arsenal.

A 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Tottenham on Tuesday offered a positive response, with goals from Cody Gakpo and a spectacular late volley from Dominik Szoboszlai. Alexis Mac Allister provided the assist for Gakpo's 54th-minute opener, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made several key saves. Iraola confirmed no new injuries emerged from the match, offering a clean bill of health for the trip to the south coast. "Everyone is ready to go, we have the same players," the head coach said. "We don't have the long-term injured or Federico. Everyone else is fine."

Injury list remains

The long-term absentees remain Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike, while forward Federico Chiesa continues to be sidelined with a lower-back problem. The availability of the wider squad means Iraola has decisions to make, particularly in midfield and at full-back, as he searches for a winning formula in the league.

His return to the Vitality Stadium comes after a three-season spell in charge of Bournemouth that ended with the club achieving its first-ever European qualification. Iraola's exit was amicable, and he even spent over two hours in June debriefing his successor, Marco Rose. His legacy, however, is also one of stalemates. Last season, no Premier League manager oversaw more draws than Iraola, with Bournemouth tied 18 times. Over his final 38 league games in charge, he drew 21, a joint Premier League record.

Adapting to Anfield expectations

That propensity for draws has followed him to Merseyside, where the context is vastly different. Home draws against Nottingham Forest and Fulham this season have drawn audible frustration from the Anfield crowd. Iraola himself has acknowledged the shift in expectation. He stated that a draw at Liverpool is more damaging to the club's aspirations than a draw was at Bournemouth, where such a result could be considered a positive, as in a 2-2 at Newcastle last term.

Goalkeeper Alisson echoed the sentiment that draws are insufficient. "Unbeaten with three draws is not something to celebrate too much with this shirt," the Brazilian said. The team's recent form shows three wins and two draws in their last five matches across all competitions, but the need for league victories is urgent. Alexander Isak, the team's top scorer with three goals this season, was among those rested in midweek and is expected to return against Bournemouth.

Iraola anticipates a tough tactical battle on Sunday. "It’s going to be a tricky one because they know very well what we try to do," he admitted. With Bournemouth sitting 15th, the fixture represents a clear opportunity for Liverpool to kickstart their league campaign before the international break.

First reported at The Guardian Football