Liverpool vs Bournemouth Preview
The 2025–26 Premier League season kicks off with defending champions Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday, August 15, 2025. Liverpool aims to start their title defense strongly, having dominated Bournemouth historically, winning 12 of their last 13 meetings, including a famous 9–0 victory early in the 2022–23 season.
Manager Arne Slot, who led Liverpool to two wins over Bournemouth last season, will be eager to improve after a disappointing performance in the recent Community Shield, where Liverpool lost on penalties to Crystal Palace after surrendering leads twice. Defensively, Liverpool showed some vulnerability that Bournemouth may try to exploit, although they remain overall favorites.
In contrast, Bournemouth face significant defensive challenges after summer departures of key players including Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi, and Milos Kerkez (who transferred to Liverpool). Under Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth have never won at Anfield and have only managed to avoid defeat once in previous visits.
Bournemouth will need to deliver a near-perfect performance to upset Liverpool, who have scored in 47 of their last 50 league games. Bournemouth averaged 1.40 goals per Premier League match last season and showed they can score against top opposition, especially in away matches.
Both teams have struggled defensively towards the end of the last season; Liverpool conceded two or more goals in three of their last four league games, and Bournemouth failed to keep clean sheets in 15 of their last 16 encounters against Liverpool.
Anticipated match details:
- Date & Time: Friday, August 15, 2025, 3:00 PM EST
- Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, England
- Broadcast: USA Network
Betting odds favor Liverpool heavily (-330 moneyline), with predictions favoring a Liverpool win but with both teams likely to score. Liverpool might rotate midfield options due to suspension and recent form, but their offensive strength remains potent.
![[Valid RSS]](../valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")