LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 10: Florian Wirtz talks with his teammate Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool on the pitch during the 2025 FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool FC via Getty Images

With numerous new signings on board ahead of the new season, Liverpool and head coach Arne Slot have decisions to make as to how they will set up the team to defend their Premier League title.

The reigning champions begin the new campaign at home to Bournemouth on Friday night. As it is the standalone Premier League season opener with no other games with which to share the spotlight, all eyes will be on how Liverpool begins its approach to its title defense.

The team’s performance in last weekend’s Community Shield curtain-raiser was encouraging in parts, not least the opening goal from new signing Hugo Ekitike, who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer for a transfer fee of $94 million, but there were also worries in some areas, especially in defense.

Goalkeeper and Defense

Adding new players in attack can sometimes have a knock-on effect on the defense, as the defending in these teams begins from the front, and the structure and positioning between each player need to be sound. For all their ability in attack, getting used to defensive aspects of a new team and a new league can take some time.

In theory, Liverpool could field a back four and goalkeeper made up of players who were each at the club last season. With Alisson in goal, and Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, and Andy Robertson lining up in front of him, Slot would have a defense made up of players who were part of his title-winning team last year.

However, two of the club’s new signings were in the full-back positions, and both right-back Jeremie Frimpong and left-back Milos Kerkez started in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace.

Slot will have used that game to test his possible starting XI against Bournemouth, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of Robertson or Bradley come in for Kerkez or Frimpong. It is fairly certain, though, that the core of Alisson, Van Dijk, and Konaté will remain intact.

Midfield

An area where the lineup could change from the Crystal Palace game is midfield.

It’s a part of the team in which Slot will be looking to get the balance right between last season’s midfielders, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister; and the addition of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has so far operated in Szoboszlai’s role with the Hungarian dropping deeper.

It could take some fine-tuning and will likely change depending on the opposition. Wataru Endo will also be hoping for more involvement this season. The Japan international, as the most natural defensive midfielder in the team, could be a good option to have for balance given the more attacking or box-to-box nature of the other midfielders.

Attack

For all of Liverpool’s new additions this season, the forward line pretty much picks itself. This indicates a lack of depth and that reinforcements might be needed before the transfer window closes on September 1, but it will also allow these players to develop an understanding and some chemistry on the field as the new signings get used to their new teammates, and vice versa.

Mohamed Salah remains one of the first names on the team-sheet, and will be followed closely in that regard by record signing Florian Wirtz. Cody Gakpo could be in for a career season attacking from the left if all goes to plan, and new signing Hugo Ekitike should lead the line, as he looked so impressive doing against Crystal Palace.

Liverpool’s possible starting 11 against Bournemouth: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike.