Defending champions Liverpool have launched the Premier League with a dramatic 4-2 win over Bournemouth at Anfield in an emotionally charged match featuring tributes to Diogo Jota and a player reporting racial abuse.
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 Mo Salah scored for the eighth time in nine opening-day fixtures.
Salah’s strike meant the prolific Egyptian also became the joint fourth-highest scorer in Premier League history.
The hosts squandered a two-goal lead to be level at 2-2 going into the final stages with new signing Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo scoring earlier.
Ekitike started to pay back his £69million transfer fee with a first-half goal, having also scored last weekend in the Community Shield penalty shootout loss to Crystal Palace.
Within four minutes of the second half, Gakpo, via an Ekitike assist, doubled the lead to give the Reds some comfort as they struggled in patches.
In between those goals, though the game was briefly paused after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported to referee Anthony Taylor in the 28th minute, he had been targeted with racist language by a member of the crowd.
Semenyo, who is black, was consoled by players on both teams after the incident but played on and scored in the 64th and 76th minutes to draw Bournemouth level.
Anfield security removed the alleged abuser, a fan in a wheelchair from the venue.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot was also seen talking to Semenya after the match.
Bournemouth skipper Adam Smith said he was “shocked” by the incident and “something needs to be done”.
“Totally unacceptable,” he told Sky Sports. “Kind of in shock it happened in this day and age. I don’t know how Ant has carried on playing and come up with these goals.
“He’s a little bit down – something needs to be done. Taking a knee has taken no effect. We’ve supported him and hopefully he’ll be OK.
“I wanted him to react [after scoring] – that’s what I’d have done. I’d have gone straight over there. It shows what kind of man he is to report it to the ref and carry on. Fair play to Ant.
“I said to the ref I wanted him removed immediately but the police went and sorted it. The Liverpool players were very supportive to Ant and the rest of the team. Just so angry.
“We’ve had discussions with the Premier League about it so they have been taking it seriously. I don’t know what else we can do.
“We’ve been doing it for a long time now and no-one is getting it. I just feel sorry for Ant and he’s had to take that. The whole country is watching and it’s shocking.”
An anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd inside Anfield after the halftime whistle, the BBC reported.
The Football Association said it was “very concerned about the allegation of discrimination from an area of the crowd.”
“Incidents of this nature have no place in our game,” the FA added, “and we will work closely with the match officials, the clubs and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and ensure the appropriate action is taken.”
It was the first competitive match at Anfield since Jota – a popular player for Liverpool – and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash in Spain on July 3.
Ahead of kickoff, fans held up placards to spell out “DJ20” and “AS30” in two of the stands during a period of silence in honour of the Portuguese players.
Players from the Liverpool team stood arm-in-arm around the centre circle, and staff and players from both clubs wore black armbands.
Salah appeared to be tearful after fulltime as Jota continued to be commemorated by Liverpool’s fans.