Interview'We have to be at our best' - Andy Robertson previews Liverpool's trip to Bournemouth

The Premier League leaders travel south for a 3pm GMT kick-off on Saturday and will face a Cherries side who have recorded resounding victories over Nottingham Forest (5-0) and Newcastle United (4-1) in their last two matches. Indeed, Andoni Iraola’s team are unbeaten in 11 in the top flight.

Liverpool, though, boast an even better recent record having not lost in their previous 18 league outings and Robertson struck a tone that mixed respectfulness with confidence when previewing the trip to Vitality Stadium.

“A really tough game. I think they’re in fantastic form, had some unbelievable results, playing full of confidence, so it’s going to be a really tough game,” the left-back told Liverpoolfc.com on Friday.

“It’s never easy going there anyway but especially with the form they’re in now. They’re in a good run of form so we have to be at our best to get anything out of the game and if we do that we believe we can beat any team.

“So, we’re in a good moment as well and it’s important that we continue that, and if we do that hopefully we can get the three points.”

Bournemouth beat both Arsenal and Manchester City at the Vitality in the autumn and routed third-placed Forest last time out.

Robertson was asked whether such performances and results make it imperative for Liverpool to avoid offering them any encouragement early on and replied: “Yeah, but I think your aim is to start every game strong.

“You always want to get on the front foot but the problem is there are two teams that want to do it and only one can manage it.

“But we know how tough the teams are and the fact they have managed to beat those teams, and certainly beat Forest comfortably last week and beat Newcastle even away from home the week before, they’re in a really good run of form.

“[They are] confident in front of goal, keeping clean sheets or keeping the other team down to a minimum.

“Yeah, they’re in a good run of form but so are we and it’s important that we take our confidence into it and we play our best game – and if we do that then we believe we can beat any team and that won’t be any different on Saturday.”

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The Reds’ preparations have been unusual this week as Slot opted to omit several senior players from the travelling squad for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to PSV Eindhoven.

That means the entire group only reconvened the day before the match at Bournemouth but Robertson – who captained the team at Philips Stadium – does not expect the changed routine to affect the players.

“We’ve just not really seen each other, that’s been the difference!” he said.

“But the players that went over, we prepared for the game as usual and done everything that we had to do. The other lads were on a slightly different programme but that’s forgotten about come today.

“We have to be ready to train, we have to be ready to prepare for the game, and we’re all together again and that’s exactly what we’ll do.

“So, it’s not been too different – obviously some of them got a day off and some of us didn’t! But that’s probably the only difference [and] come today the preparation is the same for all of us and we’ll go into tomorrow’s game hoping to get a result.”

As well as skippering Liverpool versus PSV, Robertson was also deployed in the unfamiliar role of centre-back as, despite losing 3-2, the Reds secured top spot in the Champions League league phase table.

The No.26 added: “It’s always a massive honour to captain the team in whatever game, whether it’s a pre-season friendly or a Champions League game. It’s always an honour.

“I enjoyed it, obviously it was a bit of a different role playing centre-back but I think I enjoyed it. I learned on the job and I thought there was a lot of good stuff from all of us [in the] first 35 to 40 minutes.

“I think we lost a bit of control in the last five minutes of the first half, which was frustrating, and then second half it just kind of got beyond us. Probably [because of] lads not playing too many 90 minutes and things like that, we probably got a wee bit too tired.

“But I think if you want to achieve anything in a season you always need your full squad and I think Wednesday was a good game to get a lot of people minutes and get them up to speed.

“Hopefully that stands us in good stead from now until the rest of the season.”

• Bournemouth v Liverpool: Team news