After what has felt like the blink of an eye, the Premier League is back—and Liverpool Football Club are set to begin their defence of the 2024/25 league title with a home clash against Bournemouth.
The Reds enjoyed complete control over the Cherries last season, cruising to a 3-0 victory at Anfield in September before securing a 2-0 win at Vitality Stadium in February.
An early-season meeting with Bournemouth inevitably stirs memories of one of Liverpool’s most remarkable results in recent years: the historic 9-0 demolition in Matchweek 4 of the 2022/23 campaign, a result that equaled the club’s largest-ever top-flight win.
But history will count for little come Friday night. Both sides arrive with clean slates, hungry to make a strong start to the new season.
So, what should Kopites be keeping an eye on as the curtain rises on Liverpool’s latest title defense? Here are three key storylines to watch in the opener.
1. Which defense will have more to prove?
Liverpool’s defense left plenty to be desired in their biggest preseason test—a Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace that featured one of Virgil van Dijk’s most underwhelming displays in a Reds shirt.
The usually unshakable captain conceded a penalty for the first time since a clash vs. Manchester City in the 2018 Champions League, a lapse he’ll hope won’t be repeated for a long time.
That costly moment should serve as motivation for the Dutchman to return to his imperious best against Bournemouth.
Concerns over Liverpool’s centre-back depth had been mounting, with Joe Gomez—who has an injury history of his own—seemingly the only experienced alternative to van Dijk or Ibrahima Konaté if either were sidelined.
However, the recent signing of 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni, a highly rated talent with the opportunity to learn from the senior defenders, has helped ease some of those worries.
While the Reds will be eager to quiet doubts about their defensive solidity, it’s Bournemouth’s back line that faces the bigger question marks.
Four of last season’s starters—Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi, and Kepa Arrizabalaga—were sold over the summer, generating roughly $200 million. The Cherries may have conducted smart business on paper, but in prioritizing the balance sheet, have they left themselves too thin to compete at the highest level?
2. Will Milos Kerkez punish his old club?
As noted earlier, Liverpool secured the signing of left-back Kerkez from Bournemouth this summer—a shrewd move given that Andy Robertson was one of the weaker regular starters during last season’s title run.
Kerkez delivered two goals and five assists for the Cherries in 2024/25, comfortably outshining Robertson’s solitary goal involvement over the entire campaign.
At just 21 years old, the Hungarian’s best years are still ahead of him, making his arrival on Merseyside both an immediate upgrade and a long-term investment.
He’s expected to start on Friday, having also been preferred to Robertson in the Community Shield.
That sets the stage for Kerkez to mark his Premier League debut for Liverpool in style—especially if he can register a goal or assist against his former club.
While Kerkez handled Palace’s counter-attacks with authority, he offered little in the way of attacking threat. Bournemouth’s newly depleted back line could provide the perfect stage for him to showcase the marauding, forward-driving style of full-back play that has become his trademark.
Likely lining up alongside Jeremie Frimpong, Liverpool are ushering in a new era of full-back play, moving on from the Trent Alexander-Arnold–Andy Robertson partnership that defined so much of the club’s recent success. Can the Hungarian kick off this new chapter with a perfect start?
3. Will Mo Salah add yet another to his list of Matchweek 1 goals?
Mohamed Salah, the 2024/25 Premier League Player of the Season, holds the record for most goals scored in Matchweek 1 with nine in total; because of course he does.
The Egyptian King now has a chance to hit double digits for season-opening goals if he finds the back of the net against the Cherries, and I’m backing him to get it done.
Like van Dijk, Salah put in a surprisingly poor performance against Palace, adding to his well-documented struggles at Wembley.
That stumble in the English capital could serve as motivation, setting the stage for the start of another Golden Boot race—one I expect to be far tighter than last season, with City’s Erling Haaland poised to return to his ruthless best.
Salah also impressed against Bournemouth last season, scoring two goals and providing an assist across two matches against the Cherries’ previously much sturdier back line.
He now has another chance to add to his tally against an opponent he seems to particularly enjoy facing.
There’s no better signal that the Premier League is officially back than a Mo Salah goal on opening day. Can Magnificent Mo make it a terrific ten for his career at Liverpool this Friday?