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Jamie Carragher has expressed concerns about Liverpool's defensive vulnerabilities following their 4-2 opening day victory over Bournemouth, suggesting these issues may hinder their chances of retaining the Premier League title. Despite an entertaining attacking display that saw goals from Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool's defense was exposed, particularly on Bournemouth's two goals from Antoine Semenyo. Carragher described the defending as "unbelievable" and "absolutely shocking," highlighting that Liverpool were far too open and many players were caught ahead of the ball during quick counter-attacks.

He specifically criticized centre-back Ibrahima Konate for a poor performance that contributed to conceding both Bournemouth goals. Semenyo managed to run nearly the length of the pitch to score, a feat Carragher found incredible but pointed out it exposed serious defensive lapses for a team of Liverpool's caliber. The former Liverpool defender warned that without fixing these defensive frailties, Liverpool will struggle to hold onto their Premier League crown.

While Liverpool showed their attacking prowess with goals from young talents and established stars alike, Carragher's analysis emphasizes that their entertaining style comes at the expense of defensive solidity. The Reds need to address these problems if they want to avoid being vulnerable to counter-attacks in a highly competitive league.

Overall, Carragher’s assessment underlines that Liverpool are likely to score many goals but will also concede a lot unless improvements are made at the back, raising doubts about their ability to retain the title given the current defensive form.

PP