ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Premier League champion Liverpool won the three points against Bournemouth in dramatic circumstances, with Hugo Ekitike showing another hugely exciting glimpse of what he can do amid the ongoing Alexander Isak transfer saga, and Federico Chiesa sending Anfield into raptures.
Arne Slot could still do with signing some more depth for his roster, but Ekitke and Florian Wirtz look like they will fit right in at Anfield. Ekitike opened the scoring here and was once again excellent, having impressed at Wembley last weekend in the Community Shield.
Shortly after the restart for the second half, Cody Gakpo danced around a few players before finishing well, but Antoine Semenyo netted a brace to level. Chiesa and Mohamed Salah netted late in a goal-filled game. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the match unfolded.
Diogo Jota remembered
Before kick-off, Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva were commemorated with a moment's silence at Anfield. Unlike the disrupted one at Wembley, this was impeccably observed.
Jota and Silva, of course, were tragically lost in a car crash earlier this summer, with this being the first competitive game back at Anfield since their passing. Throughout the game, as you would expect, his song was sung with gusto.
Banners in both the Liverpool and Bournemouth ends were held aloft before the game began, and there were flags and jerseys all around the stadium nodding to Jota. This season will unfortunately be framed by the Jota tragedy, but he will not be forgotten.
As Mohamed Salah stood in front of The Kop at the final whistle with tears in his eyes, it was an emotional scene. It is a reminder, too, of the context in which Liverpool is set to play this season.
A Diogo Jota banner is held up during Liverpool's pre-season.
A Diogo Jota banner is held up during Liverpool's pre-season. (Image: Masashi Hara/Getty Images)
Hugo Ekitike offers exciting glimpse
Hugo Ekitike was excellent for Liverpool against Crystal Palace a few days ago, showing plenty of intelligence in his build-up and a clinical touch in the final third. He opened the scoring with the ball falling to him slightly fortuitously, but he finished calmly.
Though it is probably not entirely fair, it is hard not to compare Ekitike and Darwin Nunez. Both were signed to take the Liverpool forward line to the next level, but the latter was unable to fulfill his potential.
Alexander Isak could yet complicate the pecking order, of course, should he arrive from Newcastle United. But in Ekitike, Liverpool has found another potential gem.
For a price tag of around $106 million (£79 million), that shouldn't be a shock. Settling into a new league, style and intensity at the age of 23, though, is not a given. Ekitike, albeit it remains early in his Liverpool career, seems to be doing a pretty good job.
Alexis Mac Allister proves his worth
At Wembley a week ago, Liverpool was lacking balance between attack and defense, exposing itself to counter-attacks by losing the ball too easily in the middle third. It still needs work, and Slot pinpointed as much before kick-off, but this was a step in the right direction, at least for as long as Alexis Mac Allister was on the field.
Here, Bournemouth made things difficult by playing with an incredible level of intensity, but Liverpool did better than a week ago to control things in the center when Mac Allister was present. There were one or two scares, but fewer errors than against Crystal Palace.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Then, though, the South American was taken off (he is not yet fully match fit after his injury). When it came to the midfield battle, the return to the starting XI of Mac Allister — one of the best in his position in the world — clearly made a huge impact. He is silky with the ball at his feet, but willing to put his foot in to win it back too.
He and Dominik Szoboszlai look to have a good mixture and balance of skills between them when the Hungarian doesn't try anything overly elaborate. But when Wataru Endo and others entered the fray, the fears that Bournemouth might even go on to win the game increased.
It will be interesting, then, to see how Slot fits Ryan Gravenberch into his set-up for the trip to Newcastle United a week on Monday. What is clear is that Mac Allister is a must. Liverpool got away with needing three goals to win here, but it won't always.
New-look full-backs
Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have both played in England before (the latter at youth level) but the Premier League doesn't get much more intense than this. They needed all their speed and know-how to get through the game.
Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley will both play their part when the time comes this year (the former did so in this game), but Kerkez and Frimpong have been signed for a reason: to play a lot of minutes. Neither was that involved going forward in this game, but did well defensively (aside from Kerkez getting booked for diving into a late tackle).
There is more to come from the pair but this was a solid enough start. The intensity meant it was a difficult game for anyone, and the experience should help.
Welcome to the Premier League
The speed of the game was a real sight to behold, especially early on. Referee Anthony Taylor, in particular, struggled to keep up with a series of odd decisions that left Arne Slot jumping up and down in frustration on the sidelines.
It was, in some ways, understandable. Immediately, the Premier League has hit full speed after its resumption; a real 'Welcome to English soccer' moment for the likes of Wirtz and Ekitike, though both seemed to get attuned.
Already, The Kop could be heard chanting the name of Ekitike, the new Liverpool number 22. He faded a little in the second half, but greater match sharpness will come for him in time. For now, this was an excellent introduction.
Thankfully for him, in the end, it was a game that could be remembered for his contribution rather than dropped points having been two goals in the lead. For that, he has the calm finish of Chiesa to thank, with the Italian sending a clear message: he does still have something to offer.