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Alisson Becker has admitted Liverpool faces a big challenge integrating its new signings this season, and feels that has not been highlighted enough ahead of the Reds’ title defense.
Liverpool kicked off the new Premier League season on Friday with a 4-2 win over Bournemouth, although it wasn’t as comfortable a victory as the scoreline might make it seem.
Having taken a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo, the Reds were pegged back to 2-2 before late strikes from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah eventually wrapped up the three points on what proved to be a nervy night at Anfield.
Four new signings were named in the side by Arne Slot on Friday, with Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez all making their league debuts for Liverpool.
The Reds though looked shaky at times, particularly in defense, raising more doubts over their hopes of defending their title this season after questions during pre-season. Speaking to NBC Sports, Alisson admitted it will be difficult for Liverpool’s new arrivals.
“I think it’s hard. Not many people talk about the changes we had in the team,” the goalkeeper said.
“Everybody’s said how good our team is becoming with new players coming in, but nobody talks about the challenge that this is. It is a big challenge.
“Last season we had the challenge of changing manager, but you keep the players so you know each other, you just have to keep the same way of playing.
“The manager was smart in the way he did that and also implementing new things, it was easy for us to understand.
“But having new players to come in and changing a lot…today Ryan [Gravenberch], who is a really important player for us, didn’t play as well. But everybody did amazingly well.
“I think for them to play, for Jeremie, for Flo and for Hugo, playing for the first time in the Premier League, you have the physicality that’s a little bit different, the intensity.
“But they showed up so well today, they played amazingly well. Of course with our help, but they showed that their qualities are at the standard of Liverpool FC.”
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Liverpool’s summer business though has made it the favorite with a lot of pundits to retain its title this season, and more signings could be on the way in the shape of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
“It will be a huge challenge for us, not only because of the level of the league, but for the changes, players with top quality who left us,” the Brazilian continued.
“But I trust our team, I trust our players, I trust our manager, I trust the plan, that we are capable of doing great things.
“But we know that we have to play every game thinking that it’s the final, the most important game.
“We did that tonight, we want to win a game playing well, in a smooth way, but if that doesn’t happen you have to force it the way we did.”
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