Premier League: Champions Are Planning Cherries for Tea!

Liverpool vs Bournemouth

Arne Slot’s Liverpool open up the new Premier League season with a home match against Bournemouth in a mouth-watering curtain-raiser for the new top flight season.    

The 2025 Premier League champions will be welcomed by a rapturous crowd at Anfield, as always, and the Reds faithful will be fully expecting a victory over Andoni Iraola’s Cherries. The South Coast side doesn’t have the best of records against Liverpool, to put it mildly, and the Premier League 2025 betting odds currently back Slot’s men to successfully defend their title.

But the Reds come into the game on the back of a Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, on penalties after a stalemate in normal time. In my SBOTOP preview of that match I backed an unexpected draw…but I’m not going to push my luck for two weeks in a row! 

 

Talking Points

New boys set to take their Anfield bow

There’s an old adage that when you are at the top you need to keep on strengthening, or the chasers are sure to hunt you down. And that’s exactly what Liverpool have done, with four new signings likely to make their home league debuts on Friday evening. Hugo Ekitike, who scored within four minutes of the start of last week’s showcase, is sure to lead the line following his big money move from Eintracht Frankfurt. Another Bundesliga export, Florian Wirtz, was Liverpool’s marquee signing of the summer at well over £100m, and the former Bayer Leverkusen forward showed glimpses of his outstanding ability at Wembley last week. Wingback Jeremie Frimpong, also from Leverkusen, could well start on one flank with Milos Kerkez, also at wingback is set to face his former club after a £40m switch in the summer.

There will also be the best players available from the successful campaign of 2024/25, minus the departed Luis Diaz and the tragically passed Diogo Jota. 

Egyptian King Mo Salah will line up alongside Ekitike and Cody Gakpo in attack while the imperious Virgil Van Dijk will marshal the defence; but there will be no place for midfield ace Ryan Gravenberch who is suspended after he picked up a red card at the end of last season. Alexis MacAllister, now back to fitness, can step in to play just behind Wirtz and alongside Dominik Szoboszlai in the midfield.   

 

Bournemouth’s case for the defence  

After a comfortable mid table campaign last season, the Cherries have been dealt a couple of blows with two key defenders leaving over the summer and a leaky defence in pre-season.

The Cherries USA tour ended with a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United, a team widely predicted to struggle this term, and that loss followed a 4-1 slapping by Manchester United.   

Not only have Bournemouth said goodbye to flying wingback Kerkez, the loss of centre back Dean Huijsen in a £50m move to Real Madrid was almost inevitable and Iraola has been working hard to find a replacement. Wednesday’s Premier League 2025 news reported he has been successful with the impending arrival of Lille centre back Bafode Diakite confirmed. The 24 year old Frenchman is set to move at a fee of £35m including add-ons, making him the Cherries’ most expensive defensive signing.

He has made 85 appearances in three seasons for Lille and played in ten Champions League games last term, so Diakite is the type of quality Bournemouth need to replace Huijsen. The Lille man was due to complete a medical on Wednesday and he will join summer signings fullback Adrien Truffert, who replaces Kerkez, and keeper Djordje Petrovic in the Cherries’ defence.

Iraola hoped to have him ready for Friday but it is a race against time and Bournemouth fans might have to wait a week to see Diakite in action.

At the other end of the pitch record signing Evanilson will start as centre forward with Antoine Semenyo and David Brooks on the wings but he will have to be patient as I expect Liverpool to attack from the off.  

 

History

Liverpool have been very dominant in their previous meetings with Bournemouth, winning 17 of their 20 meetings since they first crossed paths in 2014.

And, in terms of pre-season form the Reds are stronger too, winning four and drawing one before losing the Community Shield on penalties. Meanwhile the Cherries have two wins and four defeats spanning pre-season and the end of the 2024/25 campaign. They had a win over Everton before losing to Manchester United and West Ham United, while they finished last season with a 2-0 home win over relegate Leicester City.

 

Betting Tip

With Liverpool the red hot favourites at a price of 1.25, the draw at 5.62 and the Cherries at 9.49 to win I think this opening match is only heading one way. 

The last four meetings have yielded 13 goals and, not so long ago, Liverpool fired nine past the Cherries so I’m backing an opening day goal-fest. 

   

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