Nobody seriously expected Liverpool to be as good as they were last season. Manager Arne Slot arrived, taking over from departed legend Jürgen Klopp, and guided the Reds to the Premier League title. A record 20th domestic league title. A climbing back up onto their perch.
This season, everyone expects Liverpool to be in the thick of the title race. Most expect them to win it. They’re expected to go deep in the Champions League as well. Hopes are high. Expectations are high. And the signings made in the summer transfer window have been impressive.
“The start of a new season is always exciting, and this year is no different as we begin our journey to try to retain our Premier League title,” captain Virgil van Dijk reflected in his matchday notes ahead of the season opener at Anfield. “I can’t wait to see and hear you all this evening.
“There’s nothing quite like Anfield under the lights, and we are all really looking forward to getting back out there. I know that you guys, as ever, will be right behind us, and that noise, colour and support will be extremely important for us over the course of the season, as it was last year.
“In my opinion, there is a lot to be excited for this season. For sure, we know there are things that we have to improve if we want to stay at the top. As a team, we are humble enough to admit that, and we will all be working extremely hard every day to get better collectively.”
With a slew of squad changes this summer—and more expected over the next couple of weeks before the transfer window slams shut—there have been moments in pre-season where perhaps this Liverpool side hasn’t looked as cohesive as last year’s settled squad did from the start.
The quality is clearly there, though, and three points will be the minimum expectation for their Friday night Premier League season opener against Bournemouth. From there, a trip to face Newcastle away and then hosting Arsenal round out the Reds’ difficult August schedule.
“I don’t need to remind anyone of the strength of the Premier League,” he added. “We saw that last season and we saw it against Crystal Palace at Wembley. This is, in my opinion, the toughest and most competitive league in the world, and it challenges you in every single game you play.
“And I don’t need to remind anyone of the importance of consistency, either. Consistency is what allowed us to be successful last season, and that will be the case again. Train well, recover well, prepare well, play well. Those are the requirements. Together, let’s go for everything.”
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