Liverpool v Bournemouth predicted line-ups, how to watch, referee and stats
Weekends finally have a meaning again as the Premier League returns for another highly anticipated season – starting with a tasty Friday night opener at Anfield.
Liverpool, who have been on a rare spending spree this summer, kick off the defence of their title with a home clash against Bournemouth.
The club broke their bank on the signings of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, splashing upwards of £250m on transfer business.
This is certainly new territory for head coach Arne Slot, who made one permanent signing last summer and won the title with what essentially was Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Following a big overhaul of talent – including the high-profile departures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez – it feels like Liverpool are entering a new era under their Dutch manager.
With huge investment comes huge expectations, and there is certainly no doubt who are the favourites to win Friday’s season opener.
The Reds have beaten Bournemouth in 11 of their last 12 Premier League meetings, while the Cherries have lost on seven of their previous eight trips to Anfield – this includes a 9-0 thumping three years ago.
Manager Andoni Iraola helped the south coast club to a historic ninth-placed finish last season, though matching those highs will be difficult after the club saw £150million worth of departures over the summer.
Iraola was tipped to leave the club for bigger projects, but with nothing materialising for the Spaniard, he is now preparing to lead the Cherries for the third successive season.
Stopping this star-studded Liverpool side may seem like a daunting task, but Bournemouth will undoubtedly take inspiration from Crystal Palace, who edged the Reds in the Community Shield last weekend.
Don’t forget, you can get more stats and follow the game minute-by-minute with our new Live Scores centre.
Liverpool team news
Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch missed the defeat to Palace due to the birth of his child, and he will miss Friday’s season opener as he serves a suspension for his sending-off on the final day of the previous season.
While the Dutchman enjoys his extended summer holidays, Liverpool are expected to field all their high-profile additions, including Frimpong, Kerkez, Wirtz and Ekitike.
The only two injury worries for the Reds are Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley, who are both recovering and should be available within the next few weeks.
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Liverpool predicted line-up
Bournemouth team news
Taking on this Liverpool side away at Anfield is a hard enough task without all the extra injuries to worry about.
Bournemouth head into the new season with Enes Unal and Lewis Cook still recovering from knee problems.
Ryan Christie, Luis Sinisterra and Justin Kluivert are also on the sidelines, with the trio at various stages of recovery from their own injuries.
In better news for the Cherries, Antoine Semenyo is ready to start after putting pen to paper on a new contract. Former Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic is also expected to make his Premier League debut for Bournemouth.
Bournemouth predicted line-up
Liverpool v Bournemouth: How to watch and listen
Fans can watch Friday’s Premier League opener live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 6:30pm BST ahead of the 8pm kick off. Live radio coverage will be available on talkSPORT.
Liverpool v Bournemouth stats
Liverpool have won 11 of their last 12 Premier League games against Bournemouth.
Bournemouth have lost on seven of their last eight Premier League trips to Anfield.
Bournemouth have conceded 15 goals across their last three games at Anfield.
Liverpool haven’t lost their opening league game in any of their last 12 seasons.
In previous 33 Premier League seasons, the defending champions have lost the opening match on three occasions.
Arne Slot (Liverpool) quotes
On Liverpool’s readiness to start the season
“As ready as we can be. I think I’ve emphasised last week the fact that we have lost three or four starters… If you exclude the goalkeeper from the 10 outfield positions, five were different than the main starters we had last season. … I’m very happy with [our quality] on the ball.
“Without the ball, it’s eight out of 10 times also very good – but the aim at this club is not eight out of 10 times, it’s 10 out of 10 times. And that is the fine-tuning we still need to find defensively.”
On the challenge of retaining the title
“The reason why that is so difficult [to retain the title] lies mainly in the fact that there’s so many competitors that can also win the league over here. To win it once is already very special… And probably this year is going to be harder than every year before, because every team brings in new players but our main competitors definitely did as well.”
Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth) quotes
On what’s required to match the competition
“I think we will need to improve a lot because I think every team is improving… If we are the same team as the past season, we will finish lower for sure… I feel like even if you are good, sometimes it is not going to be enough.”
On squad standards and individual performance levels
“We have some players who are in a great place at this moment in pre-season, others are not at the level required. … When three, four, five players are not at their best, we struggle… Our approach is quite aggressive. Everyone has to play their part.”
Liverpool v Bournemouth referee stats
Experienced referee Anthony Taylor will be the man in the middle for Friday’s season opener.
In 31 Premier League matches last term, the official dished out 89 yellow cards and six reds.
Taylor’s last appearance at Anfield came in May when he officiated a thrilling 2-2 draw against Arsenal.
The Englishman was busy over the summer, taking charge of three matches at the FIFA Club World Cup – including PSG’s 2-0 win over Bayern Munich, which saw a couple of red cards for the Parisians.
Liverpool v Bournemouth tips
Having strengthened significantly over the summer, anything short of a convincing win will be seen as disappointing for Liverpool.
Slot and his men have big expectations on their shoulders this season, and they will be determined to make a statement of intent in their opening match of the campaign.
The Reds showed glimpses of what they are capable of against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, but they also looked rather vulnerable in a couple of areas – perhaps that was just some early-season rustiness.
Nevertheless, we expect Liverpool to put on a solid display in front of their home fans, scoring a couple of goals at the very least.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, have lost a number of players over the summer and are also dealing with a number of injuries.
The signs are not looking good for the Cherries, who know all too well about being thumped away at Anfield.
In terms of key men to watch, new Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike will be hoping to make a positive first impression on Merseyside.
The Frenchman scored against Palace at Wembley and will be looking to add to his total against a weakened Bournemouth side.
