Liverpool

We asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Bournemouth.

Here are some of your comments:

Liverpool fans

Ken: Great win but, as is often the case, we made it difficult for ourselves. Ekitike, Salah, Gakpo and Wirtz were excellent - all our defenders had an off day, though. Quality saw us through, but not a top performance yet. Early days and what an exciting prospect for the new season. We badly miss Diogo Jota - may he and his brother rest in peace forever. YNWA.

Geoff: There is some 'bedding in' to be done, and the absence of Ryan Gravenberch was noticeable, but a good home win against a tenacious and well drilled Bournemouth side. Lots to look forward to in the season ahead.

Mark: First game of the season, three points. Team adapting to each other. No worries.

Ben: Yet again, this display showed two things - Liverpool's attacking prowess and their defensive frailties. Being caught on the break for both Bournemouth goals showed the need for a new (and faster) centre-back. Although having Isak would be nice, we don't want to keep relying on our attackers to bail us out every time (plus Ekitike, so far, seems to be showing that Isak may not be needed). If the game has been against the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea or Arsenal it would likely have been a different result. If we don't sign a decent centre-back before the transfer window closes then it will be much harder to defend our title.

Max: I've thought for ages that Chiesa didn't get enough game time, and he will be food for thought over the next few weeks for Slot. Apart from the defending, it was a great game - entertaining, emotional and gripping.

Steve: Disjointed, less energy and far too much exposure in defence. As a life-long supporter, I'm seeing performances that are too much like the barren years. We need urgency, control and that 'get it all together ' approach. Hope we have time.

Bournemouth fans

Kathryn: I was worried beforehand but I thought we played a really high-pressing game. Amazing goals from the wonderful Semenyo against the best team in the world?! Marred by racism which was very upsetting for him. Disgusting and I'm very sorry it happened. Cherries are definitely going to Europe!

Steve: I was there with my son. It felt cruel to lose it so late but we look like a team with the potential to develop and improve.

Paul: Looked at lot better than I thought they would with so many key players going. Unfortunately, defensive errors and deflections prove costly. Everyone had us down to be returned to the Championship but I think we have proved we are more likely to be nearer Champions League.

Lee: Made a good fist of it considering a number of players who would have likely started were out injured. We looked a threat going forward and caused Liverpool problems. Sadly, you can't win a game of football conceding four goals, but I'm very optimistic after seeing that display that the mighty Cherries will have another good season. Atmosphere in Anfield was electric - I was so pleased to have been there in person.

Charl: Excellent performance full of energy and desire to not be beaten. Every player helping each other to contain a formidable opponent. Tactically superb set-up. Clumsy defending cost us but that will come.

Charles: Good start for the Cherries, expected to lose but did enough to be respected. Small details and a bit more luck could have seen a positive result. Semenyo was immense. Hopefully a tighter midfield with Cook and Christie back will see the best of the team. Defence are working hard to gel. It will get better.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Arne Slot wasted no time in integrating his expensive summer acquisitions as he gave first Premier League starts to the quartet of Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez - against his former club - Florian Wirtz and Ekitike.

Frenchman Ekitike was far and away the pick of the bunch with a vibrant performance as scorer and creator, deservedly receiving a standing ovation when he was substituted after 71 minutes.

Wirtz was quiet in the number 10 role behind Ekitike ,in what was a disjointed Liverpool display lacking so much of the calm and cohesion that was the trademark of Slot's first season in charge - which led to Liverpool strolling to the title.

And, as in the Community Shield defeat by Crystal Palace, there was a vulnerability running through this Liverpool side that will need work and almost resulted in them squandering a win that was theirs for the taking for the first hour.

It needed a typical late surge in front of The Kop to claim the three points in the face of a Bournemouth response which exposed Liverpool's defence far too often - especially down the flanks and through midfield, where the stabilising influence of the suspended Ryan Gravenberch was sorely missed.

Liverpool, however, gathered themselves as champions do, with Federico Chiesa finally making his mark after life in the shadows at Anfield to put them back in front, Mohamed Salah inevitably rounding things off.

It is only to be expected that the arrival of so many new faces, no matter how gifted, will lead to instability and this has been in evidence, leaving Slot with work to do to put all his many new pieces into place.

Liverpool were delighted with the three points, with Anfield celebrating accordingly, but this was a real scare as the champions were far from their best.

• Captain Virgil van Dijk spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside about Ekitike's debut and standing with Antoine Semenyo after he called out alleged racist abuse

Did you know?

• Hugo Ekitike became only the second player to both score and assist a goal on his Premier League debut for Liverpool, after Darwin Núñez against Fulham in August 2022. Indeed, Ekitike was the first Frenchman to score and assist on his debut in the competition, while the last player of any nationality to do so was Núñez in August 2022.

• Cody Gakpo has scored 17 goals in his last 18 starts at Anfield for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring at least once in 11 of his last 12 games as a starter at the ground.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

What did you make of Bournemouth's display?

Come back to this page on Saturday to find a selection of your replies

Arne Slot has handed out four Premier League debuts as Liverpool begin the defence of the title they lifted in May.

Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike all joined the Reds in the summer window.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo, Salah, Ekitike.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Chiesa, Jones, Elliott, Robertson, Nyoni, Ngumoha.

Andoni Iraola has named his first Bournemouth starting XI of the season with three debutants included.

Djordje Petrovic, Adrien Truffert and Bafode Diakite all make their competitive Cherries debuts.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Truffert, Senesi, Brooks, Scott, Evanilson, Adams, Smith, Tavernier, Diakite, Semenyo.

Subs: Dennis, Araujo, Soler, Kroupi, Hill, Traore, Billing, Winterburn, Rees-Dottin.

Image source, Getty Images

New Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni says it is "crazy" and he is "honoured" after completing his move from Parma.

The 18-year-old has signed a six-year contract with the club for £26m, plus add-ons.

Leoni has been a key target for Liverpool as they look to bolster their defence and it was confirmed on Thursday by Reds boss Arne Slot that a deal had been agreed for the young centre-back.

The Italy Under-19s international began his career at Padova and had a short spell at Sampdoria before joining Parma last summer.

He enjoyed a breakthrough Serie A campaign last season, making 17 appearances as Parma finished 16th, five points above the relegation zone.

"I'm very happy to be here. It's a really great sensation and I'm honoured to be here," Leoni told club media.

"Yeah, a lot [of excitement]. I'm so honoured. I was very happy [about Liverpool being interested]. When I saw this I said: 'Wow, this is crazy.' I'm very happy."

The latest signing takes Liverpool's spending this transfer window to just shy of £300m and Leoni is set to be in the stands when the Reds begin the defence of their Premier League title against Bournemouth later on Friday.

"I want to improve a lot with my new team-mates in training and after on the pitch, in the Premier League and the Champions League," he added.

"I'll watch the game [against Bournemouth at Anfield] in the stadium. Then, after the game, it's a new journey."

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Champions Liverpool kick-off the new Premier League season at Anfield against a Bournemouth side in a transitional period. BBC Sport analyses some of the key themes going into the opener.

"We need time to adapt", said Liverpool boss Arne Slot last weekend after he fielded four new players in their Community Shield defeat by Crystal Palace.

The champions have splashed £265m on summer signings to enhance an already strong squad, with the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz all starting last Sunday.

Despite the loss, the performance was largely positive and Ekitike and Frimpong's goals felt like a sample of things to come. It was the first time that two Liverpool debutants have scored in the same competitive game since Craig Bellamy and Mark Gonzalez both did against Maccabi Haifa in 2006.

Slot was understandably disappointed by his team's false start at Wembley, especially as they twice relinquished the lead, so a return to fortress Anfield for the season opener is welcome.

The Reds lost just one Premier League home game last season – a 1-0 reverse to Nottingham Forest in September – and won 46 of a possible 57 points on their own patch. Two of their four home draws came after they had already clinched a record-equalling 20th top-flight title in May.

'Iraola can at least call upon star striker Evanilson'

A Friday night visit to the champions would probably not be top of Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola's wishlist when the fixtures were announced, particularly as he is without four of his first-choice back five.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, central defenders Dean Huijsen and Ilya Zabarnyi and left-back Milos Kerkez have all left the club for pastures new, with the latter set to line up for Liverpool this week. The Cherries have banked more than £144.5m from those deals – making a £90m profit – but replacing them will not be easy.

Iraola can at least call upon star striker Evanilson who remains at the club after a solid first season. His is also dangerous on the road, with seven of the Brazilian's 10 league goals coming at opposition grounds.

Of players to score 10 or more top-flight goals last term only one netted a higher percentage away from home – his team-mate Justin Kluivert.

Bournemouth can also take confidence from their record on the opening weekend. The south coast side haven't started a league season with a defeat in any of the last seven years, winning three and drawing four.

We will have to see how all of Liverpool's new players settle in, and also, sub-consciously, the effect the sad loss of Diogo Jota will have on their squad - it is very difficult to measure that.

Bournemouth have sold most of their defenders, but I still think they will be fine this season because they are so well-organised under Andoni Iraola.

Liverpool signed one of them, Milos Kerkez, but their boss Arne Slot is still worried about his backline by the sounds of things, because of the goals they have leaked in pre-season.

So, I would expect some goals in this one, especially because Bournemouth are always quite attack-minded.

The Cherries will score at Anfield, but Liverpool will score more.

They have made a few changes to their team but they are the champions and they are at home. They will get over the line, and Mohamed Salah will get off the mark, although I am not sure I am going to get him into my Fantasy Premier League team.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

We have looked into the age profile of Liverpool's players for the 2025-26 season and recorded what percentage of minutes each of them played last campaign.

For the purpose of this exercise, we have deemed those under 24 as youth, between 24 and 30 as in their peak years and anyone over 30 to be a veteran.

The green represents new signings, who naturally did not play, red are those that have since left the club and yellow are all those that remain.

We can see the green dots all land in the youth section of the chart, underlining the emphasis on young recruits. On the flipside, the Reds have sold players in their peak years.

Also noteworthy is the fact Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch played close to 100% of minutes last season.

Whether the three can do so again may go some way in deciding if the Reds can defend their title.

Liverpool's move for Parma defender Giovanni Leoni includes the Serie A side having a 10% sell-on clause in the deal for the 18-year-old Italian. (Sky Sports Italia - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Giovanni Leoni only made his senior debut in 2023, playing in the Italian third tier for Padova as a 16-year-old, but just two years later set for the Premier League champions.

Liverpool have been looking for reinforcements in central defence since selling Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen last month, and although Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi remains very much in their sights, Leoni would provide extra cover in an area where the Reds are potentially light.

After all, captain Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were their only fit senior central defenders for the Community Shield.

With Van Dijk now 34, Liverpool need to have an eye on the future. Eighteen-year-old Leoni certainly ticks that box but also looks ready now, despite only establishing himself in Parma's starting line-up in the second half of last season.

With just 14 top-flight starts under his belt, he has not played as much as fellow highly-rated teenage centre-backs Pau Cubarsi at Barcelona, Mamadou Sarr at Strasbourg or Real Madrid's Dean Huijsen, but his stats are impressive.

At 6ft 5in, he is exceptional in the air, ranking in the top 10% for aerial duels won in Serie A last season.

At Parma, the Italy Under-19 international played in the middle of the back three or as the right centre-back and, as well as his aerial strength, he is also composed in possession, especially given his lack of experience.

Leoni will probably have to be patient for his chances. But the opportunity to develop his game with the Premier League champions, and learn from Van Dijk, who he has previously called his inspiration, appears to have helped clinch the move.

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