Liverpool opened the new Premier League season in triumph and in tears as they paid tribute to the late Diogo Jota. Mohamed Salah was inconsolable after the final whistle, breaking down in front of the Kop as they sang in honour of the tragic Portugal international, whose family were present at Anfield.
Federico Chiesa came off the bench to clinch the win with an 88th-minute volley, his first Premier League goal, before Salah added a late double to complete a remarkable turnaround. However, the victory was overshadowed by allegations of racist abuse towards Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, who scored twice to haul the visitors level.
Hugo Ekitiké impressed on his Premier League debut and opened the scoring after 13 minutes, exchanging passes with Alexis Mac Allister before firing past Djordje Petrovic. Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s lead early in the second half with a fine individual effort. But Bournemouth fought back as Semenyo swept home David Brooks’ centre and later equalised after a mistake from Salah, making it 2-2.
The game was paused when Semenyo reported racial abuse from a Liverpool fan, who was subsequently removed from the stadium. Despite the disruption, Liverpool showed their resilience as Chiesa and Salah struck late to secure a dramatic win, keeping the champions’ perfect start intact.
