The 2025–26 Premier League season gets underway Friday evening as defending champions Liverpool host Bournemouth in the first match of the new campaign.
The Reds begin their title defence in front of the Anfield crowd and will be eager to get off to a winning start in a fixture they have dominated in recent times. Arne Slot won both duels with the Cherries last term and Liverpool have won 12 of their last 13 matches with the south coast side—including the famous 9–0 win at the beginning of the 2022–23 season.
Liverpool will be keen to redeem themselves after an underwhelming performance against Crystal Palace in last weekend’s Community Shield. The Reds twice surrendered their one-goal lead and eventually lost on penalties in the season’s curtain-raiser, with Slot witnessing a surprisingly disjointed defensive display from the touchline.
Bournemouth will be aiming to capitalise on uncertainty in the Liverpool rearguard on Friday night but will be more concerned by their backline. Andoni Iraola has seen his defence gutted over the summer as Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez all departed—the latter joining Liverpool earlier in the window.
Bournemouth have never won at Anfield and have only avoided defeat once before, underscoring the scale of their upcoming task. They will need to play the perfect game to upset the odds and deny Liverpool victory on their return to Premier League action.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the opening match of the term.
What Time Does Liverpool vs. Bournemouth Kick Off?
- Location: Liverpool, England
- Stadium: Anfield
- Date: Friday, August 15
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / Noon PT
- Referee: Anthony Taylor
- VAR: Michael Oliver
Liverpool vs. Bournemouth Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Liverpool: 5 wins
- Bournemouth: 0 wins
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Bournemouth 0–2 Liverpool (February 1, 2025) - Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Liverpool vs. Bournemouth on TV, Live Stream
Liverpool Team News
Liverpool will hand competitive debuts to a host of their exciting summer signings, including Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. However, Giorgi Mamardashvili will have to wait for his first proper appearance for the Reds as Alisson remains the undisputed No.1 between the sticks.
Slot will be without Ryan Gravenberch due to suspension after he was sent off on the final day of last season, but Alexis Mac Allister should return to the starting lineup after missing out on the XI in the Community Shield. Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai—likely the latter—will partner the Argentine in Gravenberch’s absence.
Joe Gomez has recently returned to training following a preseason injury and could be involved in the squad on Friday, but Conor Bradley’s place is in doubt as he battles a muscle issue.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth
Liverpool predicted lineup vs. Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitiké.
Bournemouth Team News
Iraola will be without Lewis Cook for the beginning of the new season due to a suspension that has carried over from the end of last term, while Enes Ünal is still sidelined as he recovers from an ACL tear. He’s been missing since the beginning of January.
Justin Kluivert is suffering with a calf injury and will likely be unavailable for the trip to Liverpool. He will be a big miss for the Cherries given he provided 12 goals and six assists last term.
Ryan Christie and Luis Sinisterra were considered doubts for the trip to Anfield but have recently returned to training and should be involved.
There will be club debuts for Djordje Petrović and Adrien Truffert, while recent centre back signing Bafodé Diakité could start, too. However, Dango Ouattara will not be involved as he closes in on a £42.5 million ($57.6 million) move to Brentford.
Bournemouth Predicted Lineup vs. Liverpool
Bournemouth predicted lineup vs. Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Petrović; Araujo, Diakité, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Semenyo, Tavernier, Brooks; Evanilson.
Liverpool vs. Bournemouth Score Prediction
Liverpool were convincing Premier League champions last season but will face stiffer competition for the title this year. Arsenal will continue to push for top spot, while Manchester City and Chelsea are set to improve upon last season’s performances. Slipping up in their opener is not an option.
The Reds should avoid a potential banana skin on Friday due to their impressive attacking muscle, with Wirtz and Ekitiké having already hit the ground running. Mohamed Salah will expect to be among the goals at Anfield, too.
Bournemouth are likely to cause problems for Liverpool on the counter, with Milan and Palace having exposed defensive fragilities in preseason. However, they are unsettled at the back themselves and will struggle to keep the Reds at bay over 90 minutes.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool vs. Bournemouth: Preview, Prediction and Lineups.
