Liverpool begin their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth in the season opener on Friday night at Anfield. The Cherries finished ninth in the top flight last time, and Slot has declared that the south coast club are probably the most intense team in the league.
Arne Slot’s side are favorites to repeat their league title winning heroics from last season, having invested heavily in the summer transfer window.
Softfootball understands that this fixture has a history of goals, with Liverpool famously putting nine past the Cherries in 2022, and the last four league meetings producing 13 in total. This one should offer plenty of attacking drama.
Ahead of the clash with the Cherries, Slot spoke to the media at a press conference on the challenge Bournemouth pose against the reigning Premier League Champions as seen on Liverpool official website. He said:
“They are intense. They made it really difficult for us last season. We beat them 3-0, where you feel like ‘What is he talking about, difficult?’
“But if you look at the game, they had the first big chance of the game, they scored a goal which was fractionally offside. Then we three times, I wouldn’t say counter-attacked them but we were very fast in moving the ball from back to forward. And all of a sudden at half-time we were 3-0 up, and then I thought which I always thought when I was a manager in Holland ‘This is going to be four, five or six-nil’.
“But the mentality Bournemouth showed in the second half, they just kept on going. That’s the mentality they had throughout the whole season afterwards as well.
“They also lost some players, they also brought in good new ones as they’ve shown in the last few years, that they can always bring in good new players. And away, it was even more difficult for us.
“So, very good team, good manager and a challenge for us on Friday. But looking forward to it because an evening game at Anfield is something that everyone is looking forward to it.”
Liverpool are chasing a 13th consecutive unbeaten start to a Premier League season. Mohamed Salah is seeking to extend his own record by scoring on the opening day for the tenth time.
With Anfield as a fortress and momentum from last season’s triumph, Liverpool are well placed to begin their Premier League defence in style.
Bournemouth, however, will believe they can disrupt the script. Only three clubs have beaten the reigning champions in the first round of fixtures, and the Cherries could join that list with their first ever win at Anfield.
In a related news, Softfootball reported earlier that Liverpool is set to confirm Giovanni Leoni as their latest summer signing as the Italian has completed the main part of his medicals with the club and also finalizing terms on his contract.
