ABUJA – The new Premier League season kicks off with champions Liverpool entertaining Bournemouth on Friday.
The 20-team English top-flight – still regarded as the best domestic league in world football – will run to Sunday, May 24.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the season opener at Anfield that will kick it off.
Who is Liverpool’s biggest rival?
Liverpool won the Premier League title by a staggering 10 points, while taking their foot off the gas at the end, in Arne Slot’s first season in charge. The previous season’s champions, Manchester City, suffered a shocking start from which their attempt to win a fifth-straight title never recovered. Arsenal finished second for a third consecutive season and were the Reds’ biggest challengers.
Both sides are expected to push Slot’s side all the way this season, while Chelsea will be in sharp focus following their FIFA Club World Cup final success against UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Newcastle and Aston Villa have both been upstarts in recent years, while Manchester United and Tottenham have fallen away. A challenge from any of those four would come as more than a mild surprise.
Who has Liverpool signed for the new season?
Liverpool have been busy in the summer transfer window with Florian Wirtz’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, for $156m, heading up an impressive list that includes French forward Hugo Ekitike and Dutch wide man Jeremie Frimpong.
Slot also revealed on Thursday that highly-regarded 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni will be joining from Parma. The Reds have also been heavily linked with moves for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Caoimhin Kelleher have all departed this summer, while the club is still coming to terms with the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash last month.
What business has Bournemouth conducted?
The Cherries manager, Andoni Iraola, will have to find a way to cope with the loss of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez, who all moved on from the Bournemouth backline in the summer, the latter joining Liverpool.
Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has been brought in from Chelsea for 25 million pounds ($33.9m), while defenders Adrien Truffert and Julio Soler have arrived from Rennes and Lanus, respectively.
Has Liverpool ever lost to Bournemouth?
Yes. Bournemouth have twice beaten Liverpool in 24 previous meetings. The Reds have been overwhelmingly the better side in encounters between the sides, returning 19 wins in that time.
How many Premier League titles have Liverpool won?
Last season’s Premier League success took Liverpool’s number of English top-flight titles to 20, level with fierce rivals Manchester United.
Has Bournemouth ever won a trophy?
No. The south-coast club’s 2015 Championship win, the second tier of English football, remains their most high-profile success.
What the Liverpool manager said
Arne Slot: “The main reason that (winning the title) is so difficult is because there are so many competitors who can win the league.
“It’s unbelievable if you are able to do it in this league. This year will be even harder than before.
“We have lost five to six players who played quite a lot of minutes last season, and brought in four, so it’s normal there is adaptation.”
Liverpool team news
Ryan Gravenberch is suspended following his red card on the final day of last season against Crystal Palace.
Joe Gomez is struggling with an Achilles injury, while fellow defender Conor Bradley has a muscular problem. Both are expected to miss out.
Bournemouth team news
Enes Unal and Lewis Cook both remain long-term absentees due to knee problems.
Ryan Christie, Luis Sinisterra and Justin Kluivert are all nearing returns but it is believed this game will come too soon for all three.
Liverpool predicted starting lineup:
Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
Bournemouth predicted starting lineup:
Petrovic; Araujo, Senesi, Hill, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Semenyo, Tavernier, Ouattara; Evanilson
Source: Al Jazeera