Liverpool defeated a resolute Bournemouth 4-2 on Friday in an exciting opening to the Premier League season, thanks to goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah in the closing minutes.
Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo’s goals for the reigning champions were cancelled out by two goals from Antoine Semenyo, who appeared to have saved a point for the Cherries after reporting an instance of racial abuse from a fan.
However, on a heartfelt evening when Anfield honored Diogo Jota, Chiesa was the unexpected hero as the injured Italian put the home team ahead before Salah completed the scoring.
The celebration of Liverpool’s record-tying 19th English Premier League title turned tragic during the off-season when forward Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car accident last month.
The Portuguese player and his three children were married to Rute Cardoso just eleven days before the accident. At the front of The Kop stand was a large banner that said, “Rute, Dinis, Duarte, Mafalda; Anfield will always be your home. You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
In a heartfelt homage to Jota and Silva, Liverpool supporters unveiled a massive mosaic in their honor to kick off the new season. In a thrilling match against Bournemouth, Arne Slot’s team displayed both promise and weaknesses despite spending almost £300 million in the summer.
Gakpo scored a second goal after Ekitike opened the scoring, but Bournemouth rallied when David Brooks found Semenyo, who later stunned Anfield with a solo equalizer.
Late in the game, Federico Chiesa gave Liverpool the lead again, and in stoppage time, Salah sealed the win by shedding tears as supporters sang his name and celebrating with Jota’s signature gesture.
