Defending champion Liverpool started their 2025-26 Premier League campaign with a win over AFC Bournemouth in the first league game at Anfield on Saturday. The Reds scraped to a 4-2 victory in a hard-fought match.
Club legend and former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher has lashed out at the side’s “unbelievable” and “absolutely shocking” defending, which saw them concede two goals in the second half. Carragher said Liverpool will not retain their Premier League title if they continue with those standards.
“It is unbelievable,” said Carragher after the game. “It’s fantastic from Semenyo – but Liverpool have had this problem. How many players were ahead of the ball – maybe eight players – when they were winning 2-1? That can’t happen. It’s absolutely shocking at this level. For Semenyo to run that far and get his shot away is incredible – but where Konate is going? He had a really, really poor night tonight at centre-back.”
Late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah led Liverpool to the win after they were given a scare by Antoine Semenyo whose brace eliminated Arne Slot’s two-goal lead in a quick flash. Earlier, Hugo Ekitike opened Liverpool’s account before Cody Gakpo doubled the lead for the home team.
Poor defending
Carragher slammed Liverpool’s defending and said it has been poor during their pre-season campaign as well, where the Reds conceded a 4-2 defeat against AC Milan, while they also conceded twice against Athletic Club and Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.
“That is not right. It’s not,” said Carragher. “It’s only game on top of the Community Shield – but I’ve watched enough football in my life. This idea that everyone bombs forward, it’s not for me. I don’t like it. At no time last week in the Community Shield did I ever feel Liverpool were in control of the game. You can draw 2-2 with Palace, that can happen. But it’s how easy Crystal Palace could get at Liverpool, how easy it was tonight. In the first half, Bournemouth should have been at least 2-0 up at one stage,” said Carragher.
“There is definitely a problem that Arne Slot has to solve. People say ‘they need a centre-back’. A centre-back doesn’t fix that. He just takes Konate’s place. It’s about the make-up of the team with two attacking full-backs and a number ten who more interested in getting on the ball than defending like Szoboszlai was last season. If Liverpool continue like that, I don’t think they will win the league,” he added.
