Football: Liverpool vs Bournemouth Tips Our betting expert has three selections to consider ahead of the Premier League season opener, as Liverpool face Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday night (20:00 kick-off). Scroll down for the analysis and stats behind the three picks. By Warren Ashurst Liverpool to win and Over 3.5 Goals First Goalscorer - Mohamed Salah Bet Builder: Match Handicap - Liverpool -1 / To be booked - Tyler Adams / Over 1.5 Shots on Target - Cody Gakpo Champions can make an opening statement Not only did Liverpool surprise many onlookers by winning the Premier League title last season, but they finished the campaign 10 points clear of their nearest rivals. Since that success in May, the Reds have gone to town in the transfer market, bringing in no fewer than seven players and breaking their transfer record. That record was smashed by the addition of Florian Wirtz, with the German joined at Anfield by the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. There are likely to be further new faces arriving before the end of August, which means even more reason for the current crop of players to show they deserve regular starting roles in the opening fixtures. Bournemouth will have rolled their eyes at a trip to Anfield on the opening weekend when the fixtures were released and the task has got even harder since then. The Cherries, who finished ninth at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, have lost four of their impressive defensive backline from last season. Dean Huijsen and Illia Zarbarnyi have left for Real Madrid and PSG respectively, while full-back Kerkez headed to Merseyside and goalkeeper Kepa moved on to Arsenal. That leaves a massive void at the back and, with Liverpool likely to be flooding forward in front of a home support baying, we should be in for an entertaining evening. Liverpool vs Bournemouth Tip 1: Liverpool to win and Over 3.5 Goals Salah to bounce back from Wembley frustration It’s fair to say that last weekend’s Community Shield was one of Mohamed Salah’s most frustrating afternoon’s in a Liverpool shirt. Things just didn’t come off for the Egyptian star during the 90 minutes, before then missing from the spot in the penalty shoot-out. Last season’s Premier League top-scorer is on his own patch again on Friday and will look to continue where he left off last term. Salah, who scored 29 league goals in the 2024-25 campaign, has a fantastic record against Friday’s opponents. The former Roma and Fiorentina ace has found the net no fewer than 11 times in league matches against the Cherries since joining Liverpool in 2017. Liverpool vs Bournemouth Tip 2: First Goalscorer Adams facing a tough midfield ask Looking at potential yellow card risks through both squads, Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams looks a tempting option. The USA international will be asked to anchor the centre of the visitor’s midfield and with Liverpool pouring forward in numbers, that will be an incredibly difficult task. Adams picked up seven cautions last season, despite missing the first three months with a back injury. To emphasise Liverpool’s dominance in this fixture, it’s worth noting that the Reds have won 11 of the last 12 meetings and have not lost to Bournemouth at Anfield. Arne Slot’s men won 2-0 and 3-0 in last season’s two encounters and that’s why the -1 handicap for the champions appeals on Friday. It’s unclear if Cody Gakpo will start, but the Dutchman has impressed in pre-season and has made a strong case to be in the starting XI. Only Salah and Luis Diaz had more shots for Liverpool in the league last season (47) and a target of Over 1.5 shots on target looks achievable here even if he has to come off the bench. Liverpool vs Bournemouth Tip 3: Bet Builder - Match Handicap - Liverpool -1 / To be booked - Tyler Adams / Over 1.5 Shots on Target - Cody Gakpo
