Liverpool v Bournemouth match preview
Arne Slot’s third home game in charge of Liverpool made a false start last September when Justin Kluivert found the net for Bournemouth after five minutes.
The goal was ruled out and the hosts won comfortably to launch an unbeaten remainder of their Premier League campaign at Anfield, but the Cherries went on to finish in their highest ever league position of ninth – and their status as the sixth-best travellers in last season’s top flight means Slot is starting warily.
“We beat them 3-0, so you feel like ‘what is he talking about, difficult?’” reflected Slot, whose side won the division by 10 points ahead of Arsenal.
“But if you look at the game, they had the first big chance and scored a goal that was fractionally offside. I wouldn’t say we counter-attacked but three times we were very fast in moving the ball from back to forward.
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“All of a sudden, at half-time, we were 3-0 up and then I thought – which I always thought when I was a manager in Holland – ‘this is going to be four, five or six-nil’.
“But the mentality Bournemouth showed in the second half, they just kept on going. That’s the mentality they had throughout the whole season.”
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has faced a summer of upheaval, with his goalkeeper last season, Kepa Arrizabalaga, joining Arsenal from Chelsea on a permanent basis and hugely impressive centre-back Dean Huijsen leaving for Real Madrid for £50 million.
Centre-half Illia Zabarnyi joined Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth a guaranteed £54.5m this week and left-back Milos Kerkez switched to Liverpool for £40m.
“He has a lot more strengths than weaknesses,” Iraola said of Kerkez, calling the Hungary international, who started all of Bournemouth’s league games last season, “complete”.
“We have to be worried… I wish him all the best but hope he doesn’t have the best game.”
Iraola is expecting a busy end to the summer transfer window. “We will need to adjust as quickly as we can,” he added.
“I hope we can do it quickly and smoothly and every player comes and gives his best, but maybe it won’t be like that.
“We are starting at a difficult place but it’s going to be a good test for us and we can see where we are.
“Like all Premier League seasons, I know it’s going to be tough. You have to be prepared for everything and you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Liverpool v Bournemouth team news
Joe Gomez is a doubt for Liverpool with a minor fitness issue, as is fellow defender Conor Bradley with a hamstring problem.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has suffered from a lack of minutes while recovering from injury during pre-season, and Ryan Gravenberch is suspended.
Kerkez, full-back Jeremie Frimpong, midfielder Florian Wirtz and forward Hugo Ekitike are likely to make their Liverpool debuts.
Dango Ouattara is unlikely to travel with Bournemouth as Brentford pursue a move for the Burkina Faso international.
Another of Iraola’s wide players, Luis Sinisterra, is also expected to be absent because of uncertainty over his future, and midfielder Lewis Cook is suspended and has an injury that could keep him out for two games.
Forward Kluivert will not be able to trouble Liverpool again immediately because of a calf issue and midfielder Ryan Christie is yet to return to full fitness.
Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic and left-back Adrien Truffert are among the players who could make their Bournemouth bows.
Petrovic, who joined from Chelsea for £25m in July, saved a penalty in a 0-0 friendly draw against Real Sociedad last week.
Iraola did not confirm that Bafode Diakite will play but said the centre-back is physically fit following his arrival this week from Lille for a fee that could rise to more than £34m.
Diakite is Bournemouth’s second-most expensive ever signing, following the £40.2m paid to Porto for forward Evanilson in 2024.
Enes Unal is recovering from a serious knee injury the striker sustained in January.
Liverpool v Bournemouth expected line-ups
Liverpool starting XI: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Jones, Szoboszlai; Gakpo, Wirtz, Salah; Ekitike
Bournemouth starting XI: Petrovic; Smith, Senesi, Diakite, Truffert; Adams, Scott, Tavernier; Semenyo, Evanilson, Kroupi
How to watch Liverpool v Bournemouth: Live stream, TV channel
Kick-off on Friday is at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra.
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