𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

There’s no better time to read Miguel Delaney’s big preview on the new Premier League season:

Maybe, after all the talk of “Moneyball”, this approach is just the “maturation” of an investment fund’s approach to football. Maybe there’s something more going on.

On leaky defending during preseason: “If you look at the facts, what toy are saying is true. In general don’t think we conced may chances, but the ones we do concede are goals. We did concede more goals in pre season almost than we did in the whole of last season.”

The Liverpool manager tells Sky Sports, of the club’s lavish summer spending: “A lot of players go at a club like this and it is normal to replace them, or we would use the u18 today which would not be smart. We lost many so we brought in many. Of course we have lost a few very good players but the ones we have brought in are special as well.”

Fans arriving before kick-off this evening:

Here are The Independent football writers’ predictions for the season ahead:

It will be interesting to see if Arne Slot adapts his approach slightly after the Community Shield, where Palace made a lot of inroads behind the two new full-backs, Frimpong and Kerkez. The absence of Gravenberch is a big miss.

Richard Jolly is at Anfield for The Independent tonight:

“Liverpool have made a new signing today, in Giovanni Leoni from Parma for £26m. Four of their earlier arrivals make their Premier League debuts for their new club (and, in three cases, for any club) in Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. Compared to the Community Shield, Alexis Mac Allister is in for Curtis Jones. Bournemouth give three arrivals debuts, in Djordje Petrovic, Adrien Truffert and Bafobe Diakite.”

Bournemouth haven’t tweeted their line-up, but here it is:

Petrovic; Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Brooks, Tavernier, Semenyo; Evanilson.

Subs: Dennis, Araujo, Soler, Kroupi, Hill, Traore, Billing, Winterburn, Rees-Dottin.

The Liverpool line-up tonight is as expected.

Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Chiesa, Jones, Elliott, Robertson, Nyoni, Ngumoha.

The two line-ups will be confirmed in just a few minutes…