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Jamie Carragher, Liverpool legend and pundit, expressed concerns over Liverpool's chances of retaining their Premier League title following their 4-2 victory over Bournemouth in the 2025/26 season opener. Despite the thrilling win, Carragher criticized Liverpool's defensive frailties on Sky Sports, calling their defending "absolutely shocking" and "unbelievable." He emphasized that the Reds' openness at the back, especially their vulnerability to counter-attacks, could prevent them from securing back-to-back titles.

The match showcased Liverpool's attacking prowess as Hugo Ekitike scored on his debut and set up Cody Gakpo to put the team 2-0 up. However, Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo exploited Liverpool's defensive lapses, scoring twice with swift counter-attacks that exposed Liverpool's backline, particularly singling out defender Ibrahima Konate for a poor performance. Semenyo's runs nearly spanned the length of the pitch, highlighting Liverpool's lack of defensive organization.

Substitute Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah sealed the win late, but the entertaining 4-2 scoreline underscored Liverpool's tendency to both score and concede many goals. Carragher warned that while Liverpool might be the Premier League's most entertaining team, their defensive issues could jeopardize their title defense unless addressed promptly by manager Arne Slot.

Overall, Carragher urged immediate improvements in Liverpool's defensive structure, criticizing the team for allowing too many players ahead of the ball during critical moments and stressing that without fixing these problems, retaining the Premier League crown would be very difficult.

PP