The 2025-26 Premier League season begins Friday when reigning champions Liverpool host AFC Bournemouth at Anfield, with kick-off set for 3 p.m. Eastern (8 p.m. London). The curtain-raiser comes after a record off-season outlay across the division and sets the tone for a campaign in which Liverpool seek to retain the title they clinched by 10 points last May. Liverpool’s owners sanctioned roughly £260 million in summer transfers, headlined by £100 million midfielder Florian Wirtz and forward Hugo Ekitike. Full-back Jeremie Frimpong and left-back Milos Kerkez also arrive, the latter acquired from Friday’s opponents. The newcomers replace key departures, including Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid, while the club continues to mourn striker Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident last month and will be honoured before kick-off. Manager Arne Slot, now in his second year, acknowledged that integrating four major signings may take time but insisted his squad is "ready for the league to start." Slot identified Chelsea—another heavy spender— as Liverpool’s likeliest challenger in a market that has seen Premier League clubs invest about £2 billion since June. Bournemouth, guided by Andoni Iraola, arrive with confidence after last season’s top-half finish and are expected to field U.S. international Tyler Adams in midfield. The Cherries fell 2–0 and 3–0 to Liverpool in last year’s meetings but have developed a pressing style that troubled higher-budget sides. Friday’s opener will test Liverpool’s revamped defence and offer an early gauge of whether the champions’ spending spree can deliver an immediate return.