The Season Opens With a Sprint, But It’s the Marathon That Crowns Kings
Reaction to Liverpool FC Premier League Fixtures 2025/26
The league has barely caught its breath from the last crescendo, and already the champions are back on the blocks, hungry and honed. Their opening fixture, a Friday night curtain-raiser at home to a dishevelled Bournemouth, carries not just the sheen of spectacle but the steel of intention. There is a swagger in being first, in setting the pace while others fumble for form. It is not arrogance, it is an early statement of authority.
The calendar's spine is unforgiving. Trips to St James’ Park and Stamford Bridge, interwoven with Europe’s floodlit demands, threaten rhythm. But if the side emerge from this thicket within touching distance of the summit, the title run-in will open up like a red carpet. Four of the last seven at Anfield, no Manchester City, no Arsenal. Instead, ghosts in familiar shirts, Everton and Manchester United, seeking to play spoiler.
Salah’s AFCON absence cuts deep, not just in goals but in grit. Yet title-winning sides do not mourn missing men; they forge new heroes. Last season offered glimpses, Jota’s late winner, Diaz’s surges, and Gakpo's clever industry. With the summer's shrewd strengthening, they aim not just for balance but firepower. The hope is for fewer edge-of-seat finales and more feet-up-at-three-nil strolls.
This is not just a squad with pedigree. It is a team led by players with ambition etched into their boots. One title is not enough. Not here. Not for them. If they start as they intend to finish, this campaign will not be a defence of the crown, it will be a coronation in waiting.