In the realm of football, Liverpool hosts Bournemouth for the inaugural match of the 2022-23 Premier League at Anfield. The reigning champs are ready to kick off their title defense against the visiting team.
In the highly anticipated opening game of the 2025-26 English Premier League season, defending champions Liverpool will host Bournemouth at Anfield, United Kingdom. The game is set to commence at 8pm (19:00 GMT) on Friday, August 14, with Al Jazeera Sport providing live text commentary.
Liverpool, widely regarded as the clear favourites, have strengthened their squad during the summer transfer window, with the arrivals of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, and others. However, the departure of key players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Caoimhin Kelleher, and Diogo Jota has left a gaping void. Notably, Diogo Jota passed away in a car crash last month, a tragic loss for the team and football as a whole.
Arsenal and Manchester City closely follow Liverpool, making the season expected to be a tight three-team race at the top. Chelsea, having recently won the FIFA Club World Cup and made significant investments, are also in the mix but slightly behind the top three. Other clubs like Manchester United and Newcastle have potential but are generally seen as outsiders in the title race due to squad issues or balancing European competitions.
Bournemouth, who have not won any trophies, their most high-profile success being their 2015 Championship win, will face a challenging task against the champions. The Cherries have lost several players from their backline this summer, including Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi, and Milos Kerkez. On the plus side, Luis Sinisterra, Ryan Christie, and Justin Kluivert are nearing returns but will not play in this game. Enes Unal and Lewis Cook remain long-term absentees due to knee problems.
Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth's manager, acknowledged the difficulty of playing the champions in the first day of the season. "Playing the champions on the opening day of the season always makes the game especially difficult," he said. Djordje Petrovic, Adrien Truffert, and Julio Soler have joined Bournemouth from Chelsea, Rennes, and Lanus, respectively, to bolster their squad.
Liverpool's predicted starting lineup for the game is: Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike. Ryan Gravenberch is suspended due to a red card in the final day of last season against Crystal Palace, while Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are expected to miss the game due to Achilles injury and muscular problem, respectively.
In previous encounters, Liverpool have been overwhelmingly the better side, returning 19 wins in that time. Bournemouth have twice beaten Liverpool, making this game an intriguing contest. Liverpool's 2021-2022 Premier League title win brings their total number of English top-flight titles to 20, level with Manchester United.
Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, expressed his views on the competition for the Premier League title. "The competition for the Premier League title is tough and this season will be harder than before due to player departures and arrivals," he said. The game between Liverpool and Bournemouth promises to be an exciting start to the new Premier League season.
- Breaking news: The highly anticipated 2025-26 English Premier League season will kick off with the defending champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield, United Kingdom, with the game set to commence at 8pm (19:00 GMT) on Friday, August 14.
- Sports update: In a tight three-team race at the top of the 2025-26 Premier League, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City are expected to challenge for the title, with Chelsea being slightly behind due to squad issues and balancing European competitions.
- Business news: The transfer market has been active with Liverpool strengthening their squad during the summer transfer window, adding players such as Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, while key players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Caoimhin Kelleher, and Diogo Jota have left the team.
- European-leagues: Despite the departures, Liverpool has a strong squad and is predicted to start the new Premier League season with a win against Bournemouth, as they have been overwhelmingly the better side in previous encounters, returning 19 wins. This game promises to be an intriguing contest and an exciting start to the new Premier League season.
