Liverpool’s new season got off to a dramatic start at Anfield yesterday, as late goals from Mohamed Salah and substitute Federico Chiesa sealed a thrilling 4-2 victory over Bournemouth. The hosts snatched all three points on an emotional opening night marked by both brilliant football and troubling incidents.
On a bittersweet evening, Liverpool’s new signing Hugo Ekitike opened his account on his league debut, putting his side ahead in the 37th minute. Cody Gakpo then doubled the lead just four minutes into the second half, giving the home side a commanding advantage.
However, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who was the target of racist abuse during the first half—an incident that forced a brief stoppage in play—staged a stunning comeback. The Ghana international pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 64th minute and completed his brace 12 minutes later, stunning Liverpool and their fans.
With the match level at 2-2, it was the Italian star Chiesa who broke the deadlock. After coming off the bench, he fired an 88th-minute strike into the net to restore Liverpool’s lead and send the Anfield crowd into raptures. The goal followed a shot from Salah that was parried into his path by Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Salah then sealed the victory deep into added time. Chasing a long ball, he cut inside the defender and slotted a clinical shot into the bottom corner, bringing his total to 187 Premier League goals—tying him with Andy Cole for joint-fourth on the all-time scorers list.
Following his goal, an emotional Salah pointed to the heavens and performed teammate Diogo Jota’s famous shark celebration. After the final whistle, he walked towards the Kop Stand, wiping away tears as fans sang a tribute song to Jota to the tune of “Bad Moon Rising.”
The night began with an emotional minute’s silence and the singing of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by fans.
Ekitike, who arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt as part of a significant close-season spending spree, expressed his satisfaction after the match. “Obviously I think it was a good performance, though I know I can do better,” the 23-year-old French forward said. “But the most important thing was winning and the mentality we showed. We wanted to win tonight for the people who came and for Diogo.”
The game’s temporary halt was due to the racist abuse reported by Semenyo. Bournemouth captain Adam Smith condemned the incident, telling reporters, “It’s totally unacceptable. I’m honestly in shock that it happened. In this day and age, it shouldn’t be happening.”
“I don’t know how Ant managed to play on and score those goals… Something has to be done. We’ll support him and hopefully he’ll be okay,” Smith added.
