Winners and losers from Liverpool’s opening day win against Bournemouth as two new signings feature

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Liverpool made a disappointing start to their Premier League season, even though they managed to win all three points against Bournemouth on Friday evening.

The Reds just about earned all three points at Anfield as they beat the Cherries 4-2.

A lot of the Merseyside outfit’s new arrivals made their top-flight debuts on 15 August, with some making a better name for themselves than others.

Many Liverpool fans weren’t all that sure what to expect from Liverpool after their defeat in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, and to be honest, it was likely much worse than most expected.

Winners

On a positive note, despite all the changes that Slot and Richard Hughes have made to Liverpool’s first-team squad, a lot of the players seemed to work well together, even if the defence was rather open.

Hugo Ekitike: The Frenchman added yet another goal to his Liverpool tally as he managed to slot one past the Cherries in the 37th minute.

From then on, he was playing with real confidence, and he actually played very similarly to how Roberto Firmino did in his prime.

Indeed, he’s much taller than the Brazilian, but with his silky footwork alongside his keen eye for goal, it’s clear that the former Frankfurt talisman is going to be a key cog in Slot’s plans.

That is, even if they do end up signing Alexander Isak, because not only did he get himself a goal, but he also managed to set up the Reds’ second of the night due to how far he dropped back to start the attack.

Cody Gakpo: The Dutchman was the player who scored the Reds’ second of the night after he managed to bob and weave through Andoni Iraola’s defensive line.

The left-winger doesn’t have all that much competition in his position now that Luis Diaz has exited, but on the face of things, it feels like he’s massively stepped up.

Not only did he manage to keep his composure when in the final third, but he also seemed to form a rather dynamic partnership with Ekitike as both players worked off one another like they’d been teammates for years.

Federico Chiesa: Chiesa’s future has been brought into the limelight on more than one occasion this summer.

At the start of the transfer window, it seemed almost certain that the Italy international would be exiting Anfield this summer.

Instead, he looks likely to fight for his place, and after he managed to score the Reds’ third goal, he’s more than earned his chance to prove his worth.

Losers

As Liverpool’s performance was shaky to say the least, there were a fair few questionable moments that occurred during the clash.

Milos Kerkez: One of the Reds’ worst players on the pitch was, unfortunately, new boy Milos Kerkez.

Jamie Carragher slammed the left-back for how “aggressive” he was being against his former teammate, Antoine Semenyo.

The left-back earned himself a yellow card thanks to his late challenges on the right-winger, and even though Liverpool conceded after he was taken off, it’s clear that the 21-year-old needs to take things down a gear or two.

Ibrahima Konate: One of the main stories to have emerged from Anfield this season is where the future of Konate lies.

The centre-back only has a year left on his current deal, and with all the rumours emerging about Liverpool potentially making a move for Marc Guehi, you’d expect the Frenchman to be on top form.

Instead, he was a major liability in Liverpool’s back-four as he gave the ball away multiple times and often looked like he was in no-man’s land.

If Liverpool are serious about retaining the Premier League title and want to prove they’re one of the best teams in the world, they need to get their back four aligned as soon as possible.