Liverpool begin their defence of the Premier League title tonight at Anfield against Bournemouth, with kick-off at 20:00 BST.

The Reds boast an extraordinary record in season openers, going unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League first matches – the longest such streak in league history. When it comes to Anfield meetings, Bournemouth’s record is bleak: no wins, one draw, and seven defeats, collecting just one point from a possible 24. The Cherries have lost their last six visits by a combined 23–2 scoreline.

Slot Ready for Biggest Challenge Yet

Manager Arne Slot has acknowledged the scale of the task ahead in retaining the title.

Winning it once is already a huge achievement, doing it twice in three, four, or five years is something special. We’ve managed it twice in five years, while Manchester City have done even better in recent seasons, which is remarkable. This year could be the toughest yet, as every team, especially our main rivals, has strengthened their squads with new signings.

Salah’s Opening Day Brilliance

Mohamed Salah remains the Premier League’s ultimate opening-day marksman. The Egyptian has scored or assisted in every Gameweek One fixture since joining Liverpool, netting nine goals in eight season openers. His tally puts him ahead of Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy, Frank Lampard and Alan Shearer as the league’s most consistent first-day scorer.

Record-Breaking History at Anfield

Liverpool’s biggest Premier League win came against tonight’s opponents. A 9-0 thrashing at Anfield in August 2022. The result cost then Bournemouth boss Scott Parker his job and remains one of the standout score-lines in modern Premier League history.

Assessing the Bournemouth Threat

Bournemouth enter the new campaign under Andoni Iraola, who has lost all five matches he has managed against Liverpool. The Cherries’ summer has been a mix of high-profile departures and ambitious signings. They sold Illia Zabarnyi to PSG for £54.5m, Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid for £50m and Milos Kerkez to Liverpool for £40m, bringing in Adrien Truffert from Rennes, goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović from Chelsea and centre-back Bafodé Diakité from Lille.

While their defensive unit looked revitalised last season under Iraola, the loss of key ball-playing defenders and the absence of major attacking reinforcements raise doubts over whether they can improve on last season’s ninth-place finish.

Team News

For Bournemouth, Justin Kluivert will not travel to Merseyside, while Lewis Cook is suspended and still recovering from a summer injury.

For Liverpool, new signings Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez could make their competitive debuts.

Ryan Gravenberch is suspended, likely forcing Alexis Mac Allister to partner either Dominik Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones in midfield.

Conor Bradley remains sidelined after missing pre-season matches against Athletic Club and Crystal Palace.

Joe Gomez could make the bench after returning from an Achilles injury, though Arne Slot confirmed he has trained only twice since his recovery.