Liverpool v Bournemouth - Premier League
AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Liverpool FC played their first Premier League game of the season on Friday, needing late heroics to seal a win over Bournemouth. While the opening match of the season is always a case for emotions to be ramped up, Liverpool players and supporters attempting to navigate the sudden loss of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva just six weeks ago.
In a post match interview with NBC Sports, Veteran goalkeeper Alisson Becker said he felt the squad handled the moment and the match well. He also stated that coping with the sudden loss of their teammate has been helped by everyone being together, and the shared support between the players and the club supporters.
“We handled it really well. At the game, you want the result for the first thing, but also we are concerned about how we get the result, that’s why we’ve been in training in the pre-season. Of course, with all of the things that happened in the last month with us, it wasn’t easy. It’s never easy. But I think everybody is coping in a good way because we are together. Today the supporters showed us the support they have, and most important is that we are together in this.“
Alisson also spoke about the squad’s goals for the season fresh off of wining the Premier League title last season. While he knows that there are no easy matches, especially with Liverpool having a target on their backs due to being the champions, he says the standard and expectation is the Reds will challenge for another league title as well as additional trophies, both domestically and in the Champions League.
“We have big goals and big targets for this season. That is to fight for the title again, not only for the Premier League but for the other competitions, because this is the standard of Liverpool FC. In the Premier League there is no easy game to play, tonight was a good reminder for everybody, for us as well, [after] you stay so long without playing a Premier League game. We had a little bit of a taste against [Crystal] Palace at the Community Shield. Every side is strong. Teams are becoming stronger and stronger every season, and it’s the case now.
“It will be a huge challenge for us, not only because of the level of the league but for the changes, players with top quality that left us. But I trust our team, I trust our players, I trust the manager, I trust the plan - that we are capable of doing great things. But we know that we have to play every game thinking that it’s a final, the most important game. We did that tonight. You want to win a game playing well, in a smooth way, but if that doesn’t happen, you have to force it the way we did tonight.”