Liverpool launched the Premier League with a dramatic 4-2 win over Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday in an emotionally charged match.
Liverpool launched the Premier League with a dramatic 4-2 win over Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday in an emotionally charged match featuring tributes to Diogo Jota and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo reporting racial abuse.
The winger responded brilliantly with both the Cherries’ goals as they came from two down as Andoni Iraola’s side exposed the same defensive weaknesses Crystal Palace did in Sunday’s Community Shield victory.
– Prem opener paused over report of racist abuse
– Liverpool pay emotional tribute to Jota at opener
– As it happened: Liverpool beat Bournemouth
But forgotten man Federico Chiesa, Liverpool’s solitary signing last summer who has barely featured and whose future looked to be elsewhere, volleyed home his first league goal in the 88th minute before Mohamed Salah scored for the eighth time in nine opening-day fixtures.
Summer signing Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo had earlier put the Reds 2-0 up.
In between those goals, the game was briefly paused after Semenyo reported to referee Anthony Taylor in the 28th minute that he was targeted with racist language by a member of the crowd.
Semenyo, who is Black, needed to be consoled by teammates after the alleged incident but played on and scored in the 64th and 76th minutes to draw Bournemouth level.
