Hugo Ekitike enjoyed a “dream” Premier League debut for Liverpool, recording the highest average rating at Anfield and taking home Sky Sports’ man of the match award.
The champions weren’t wholly convincing at home to Bournemouth, but late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah sealed a 4-2 win for the Reds.
Here we compare our player ratings with those of TIA’s readers, the Liverpool Echo and GOAL.
It was Ekitike (8.5) who caught the eye more than anyone, getting top marks after bagging a goal and an assist.
Ian Doyle of the Echo praised a promising performance from the Frenchman, saying he “provided a focal point” in attack and was “impressive” throughout.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, August 15, 2025: Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike celebrates his side scoring the second goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
GOAL’s Harry Sherlock lauded Ekitike’s “smart assist” for Cody Gakpo in the second half, in what was a “dream debut” for Liverpool’s new signing.
Chiesa (8.2) is a hugely popular figure and his influential cameo earned him the second-highest score.
The winger’s ruthless finish sent the Kop wild, with *This Is Anfield*‘s James Nalton noting that his “song rang around Anfield for much of the rest of the game.”
What the stats say
With help from our friends at FotMob, we can see Ekitike was also statistically Liverpool’s best player, earning an 8.4 rating.
Meanwhile, Alisson was the rated lowest on the night (5.9), conceding twice at Anfield.
Ekitike not only scored and assisted for Liverpool, but he also had more shots (4) than any other player.
Salah may have been quiet by his standards before completing the scoring, but his off-the-ball work was out in force.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Friday, August 15, 2025: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring the fourth goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The 33-year-old made more recoveries (9) than any Liverpool player, with Marcus Tavernier (10) leading the way overall.
Debutant Florian Wirtz didn’t necessarily light up the game, but interestingly, nobody covered more ground than him (8.6km.)
That bodes well moving forward, with the German superb out of possession as well as with the ball.
** You can find all the live scores and in-depth stats you never knew you needed each matchday on FotMob. Download the FotMob App here.*