Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Liverpool open their new campaign at home to a Bournemouth side that have lost almost their entire back line over the summer. The visitors’ defensive absences and the hosts’ revamped attack point towards an open, attacking contest, though the reality of an opening-day fixture could temper that.
Liverpool
In the Community Shield against Crystal Palace (2:2), Liverpool were a mixed bag: they dominated possession but created few genuinely dangerous chances. Arne Slot is still building attacking chemistry with his new signings, but the squad looks formidable. Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike have all arrived, with Ekitike scoring just four minutes into the Super Cup match. At Anfield, Liverpool remain a formidable force — last season they won 14 of their 19 home league games.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth’s summer saw the departures of Illia Zabarnyi, Micky van de Ven and Milos Kerkez, significantly weakening their defence. The team has previously caused problems for the top clubs, but they failed to score in either meeting with Liverpool last season, losing 3:0 and 2:0. Pre-season form has been patchy — a strong start followed by a dip, with just two goals in their last four games.
Liverpool vs Bournemouth Prediction
Liverpool should secure a convincing win in their Premier League opener, especially given they have beaten Bournemouth five times in a row by an aggregate score of 14:2, winning each of the last four league meetings by at least a two-goal margin.