Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday night. Arne Slot’s side begin their title defence

The Premier League returns this weekend, with champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday night. Arne Slot’s side begin their title defence after finishing 10 points clear of Arsenal last season, ending with 84 points, the division’s best xG ratio at home (69%), and an Anfield record of 14 wins from 19 matches.

The summer has brought both excitement and change. Florian Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m, while £79m signing Hugo Ekitike joins from Eintracht Frankfurt after scoring 15 Bundesliga goals last season. Key departures include Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid. The club also mourned the sudden passing of Diogo Jota in July, adding an emotional backdrop to the new campaign.

Liverpool’s pre-season mixed impressive attacking returns as they scored at least twice in every friendly but with defensive leaks, conceding in all six matches. Their most recent outing saw them draw 2-2 with Crystal Palace in the Community Shield before losing on penalties.

Bournemouth enjoyed their highest-ever Premier League finish last term, ending ninth. Andoni Iraola’s team were one of the league’s most effective away sides, finishing sixth in the away table with seven wins and the third-best away xPTS (31.33). Their style on the road was high-event, with 79% of matches seeing both teams score.

However, the summer has stripped them of defensive stability. Three of their regular back four in Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, and soon-to-depart Ilya Zabarnyi have moved on. While replacements have been signed, they face the challenge of adapting quickly to Premier League pace. Pre-season form was mixed, with wins over Hibernian and Everton, a draw with Real Sociedad, and defeats to Manchester United and West Ham.

Both clubs enter with attacking ambition, but Liverpool’s firepower and Anfield record make them clear favourites in this curtain-raiser.

Liverpool have dominated Bournemouth in recent years, winning 15 of the last 17 Premier League meetings, with just one defeat – a 1-0 loss at the Vitality Stadium in March 2023 – and one draw, a 2-2 at Anfield in April 2017. They have won the last four encounters in all competitions without conceding, scoring 11 goals in the process, including 2-0 away in February 2025, 3-0 at home in September 2024, 4-0 away in January 2024, and 2-0 away in the League Cup in November 2023.

The standout result remains the 9-0 win at Anfield in August 2022, one of the biggest victories in Premier League history. Since Bournemouth’s promotion in 2015, Liverpool have scored three or more goals in 12 of the 19 meetings in all competitions, with Bournemouth’s best results generally coming at home. However, even at the Vitality Stadium they have failed to score in six of the last eight clashes. At Anfield, Liverpool have a perfect Premier League record against Bournemouth, winning all nine home games with an aggregate score of 33-3.

Predicted line-ups

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike.

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Petrovic, Araujo, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Adams, Traore, Tavernier, Scott, Semenyo, Evanilson.