Liverpool vs Bournemouth – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Liverpool begin their Premier League title defence with a home fixture against Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday evening.

The defending champions will look to bounce back from their Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace and start the new campaign in winning fashion under Arne Slot.

Liverpool vs Bournemouth – Match Preview and Team News

Team News

Liverpool

Liverpool begin their Premier League title defence with several new signings potentially making their league debuts, including Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez. Manager Arne Slot will be without Ryan Gravenberch due to suspension following a red card received in the 2024/25 finale.

Conor Bradley remains out with a muscle injury after missing pre-season games against Athletic Club and the Community Shield against Crystal Palace. Joe Gomez could return to the matchday squad after recovering from an Achilles injury sustained in pre-season.

Alexis Mac Allister should return to the base of midfield despite Curtis Jones, who started in the eleven, setting a new Community Shield record with 53 passes at 100% accuracy in the defeat to Palace. Defenders Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will anchor the backline, with Alisson in goal. Mohamed Salah remains Liverpool’s focal point after netting 29 league goals last season.

Bournemouth

Andoni Iraola has overseen a summer rebuild following several high-profile departures. Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid for £50m, Milos Kerkez moved to Liverpool for £40m, and Illya Zabarnyi transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for £54.5m.

Djordje Petrović is set to make his Premier League debut in goal after joining from Chelsea for £25m. Adrien Truffert has arrived from Rennes to replace Kerkez in the left-back position.

Enes Unal and Lewis Cook remain sidelined with knee injuries, whilst Ryan Christie (groin), Luis Sinisterra (thigh) and Justin Kluivert (calf) are all at various stages of recovery. However, Antoine Semenyo is available after turning down transfer interest to sign a contract extension.

Evanilson will lead the line for the Cherries, with the Brazilian striker expected to provide the focal point in Iraola’s attacking setup.

Form

Liverpool: D

Slot’s side concluded pre-season with mixed results, suffering a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan before securing victories over Athletic Bilbao and Yokohama F. Marinos. The Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace on penalties was their most recent fixture.

Bournemouth: N/A

The Cherries endured a challenging pre-season, losing 4-1 to Manchester United and 2-0 to West Ham United in the Premier League Summer Series whilst managing just a goalless draw with Real Sociedad. Their most recent victory came against Everton (3-0) in a friendly fixture.

Predicted Lineups

Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike.

Bournemouth: Petrović; Araujo, Senesi, Diakite, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Semenyo, Tavernier, Ouattara; Evanilson.

How to Watch?

The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST at Anfield. Sky Sports subscribers can stream the fixture via the Sky Go app and website.

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