Liverpool v Bournemouth live: Salah gets his 10th opening-day goal as Premier League champions earn emotional win

Liverpool got their Premier League title defence off to a winning start against Bournemouth at Anfield

The REAL Reason Liverpool Signed Jeremie Frimpong

Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah and fellow forward Federico Chiesa struck late goals as the Premier League champions began the defence of their title by beating Bournemouth 4-2 in a thriller on the opening night of the season at Anfield on Friday.

On a bittersweet evening charged with emotion after the July death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, newcomer Hugo Ekitike bagged a goal on his debut to put the hosts ahead after 37 minutes and Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th.

But Antoine Semenyo, who was the target of racist abuse in the first half that led to a pause in the game, pulled one back for the visitors in the 64th minute and completed a double 12 minutes later to rock Liverpool and shock the home fans.

However, substitute Chiesa sent the Liverpool faithful away happy with an 88th-minute strike after goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic swatted away a ball into the box by Salah, who scored himself deep into added time to wrap up the three points.

Liverpool vs Bournemouth live

• Liverpool host Bournemouth Premier League opener, live on Sky Sports
• Arne Slot names four Premier League debutants while Andoni Iraola picks three
• Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
• Bournemouth: Petrovic; Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Brooks, Tavernier, Semenyo; Evanilso
• No red card: VAR decides not to intervene on Senesi handball (15 min)
• GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Bournemouth (Ekitike, 37 min)
• Match paused after Antoine Semenyo reports incident of racist abuse
• GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Bournemouth (Gakpo, 49 min)
• GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Bournemouth (Semenyo, 64 min)
• GOAL! Liverpool 2-2 Bournemouth (Semenyo, 76 min)
• GOAL! Liverpool 3-2 Bournemouth (Chiesa, 88 min)
• GOAL! Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth (Salah, 90+4 min)

[15 August 2025 23:11 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Bournemouth captain ‘shocked’ and ‘angry’ after Antoine Semenyo reports racist abuse

Bournemouth captain Adam Smith said he was “shocked” and “angry” after teammate Antoine Semenyo reported receiving racist abuse from a spectator at Anfield on Friday night.

Liverpool won the Premier League season’s opening game 4-2 after goals from Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah, on a night full of tributes for Diogo Jota after his tragic death in July.

But the match was marred by the incident involving Semenyo, who immediately reported what he had heard to match officials.

[15 August 2025 22:40 · Richard Jolly]

Ekitike lights up Liverpool's opening night marked by grief and marred by racist abuse

While the Alexander Isak saga drags on, perhaps the question should not be whether he will join Liverpool, but if they actually need him anyway. As four of their forwards scored, as they showed how devastating they can be in attack, it is becoming ever more apparent that Arne Slot has already signed a high-class striker this summer, one with sleekness and speed, the potential to be prolific and an ability to excel at Anfield. And yet a manager who lamented, after taking Hugo Ekitike off in the Community Shield, that he did not have an understudy, conjured a dramatic victory courtesy of Anfield’s forgotten forward.

Read Richard Jolly’s report from Anfield:

[15 August 2025 22:18 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Full-time: Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth

The key moment that saved Liverpool’s night:

[15 August 2025 22:12 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Match summary

Liverpool talisman Mo Salah and fellow forward Federico Chiesa struck late goals as the Premier League champions began the defence of their title by beating Bournemouth 4-2 in a thriller on the opening night of the season at Anfield on Friday.

On a bittersweet evening charged with emotion after the July death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, newcomer Hugo Ekitike bagged a goal on his debut to put the hosts ahead after 37 minutes and Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th.

But Antoine Semenyo, who was the target of racist abuse in the first half that led to a pause in the game, pulled one back for the visitors in the 64th minute and completed a double 12 minutes later to rock Liverpool and shock the home fans.

However, substitute Chiesa sent the Liverpool faithful away happy with an 88th-minute strike after goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic swatted away a ball into the box by Salah, who scored himself deep into added time to wrap up the three points.

[15 August 2025 22:01 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Full-time: Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth

Mohamed Salah wipes away tears as he stands in front of the Kop listening to chants for Diogo Jota.

[15 August 2025 22:00 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Full-time: Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth

“I think Liverpool might turn out to be the most entertaining team in the Premier League this season,” Jamie Carragher says on Sky Sports. “I don’t necessarily want to see that. Liverpool are still a work in progress with all these new signings.”

[15 August 2025 21:58 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Full-time: Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth

A wild ride of a football match, and in the end Liverpool get their win.

[15 August 2025 21:56 · Lawrence Ostlere]

GOAL! Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth (Salah, 90+4 min)

He gets his goal, of course he does. Salah races on to a ball over the top of the Bournemouth defence, wriggles into the box and lets fly with his right foot, finding the far corner.

[15 August 2025 21:53 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Liverpool 3-2 Bournemouth

90+2 min: Liverpool’s Chiesa song is reverberating around Anfield.

[15 August 2025 21:50 · Lawrence Ostlere]

GOAL! Liverpool 3-2 Bournemouth (Chiesa, 88 min)

Federico Chiesa has surely won it! The ball bounces around in the Bournemouth box and when it finally drops out of the air, Chiesa is there to swipe it into the corner.