More than win: Liverpool beat Bournemouth in overwhelming EPL premiere

Some games are bigger and more important than thousands of others, even when they're not title deciders, even when they're only the season's opening game.

That was the case with tonight's clash between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield, which kicked off the new Premier League campaign. We saw a fantastic match, a genuine see-saw as the Reds went two goals up before conceding two and then scoring another two for an entertaining 4-2 win!

This game also had special importance, being the first Premier League game following the death of Diogo Jota. Liverpool and its fans paid a very emotional tribute to Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a car crash.

'You'll Never Walk Alone' was followed by a period of silence ahead of the kick-off, during which a fan-led mosaic in the stands was held up to read 'DJ20' and 'AS30'.

Also, in the 20th minute, the Reds' supporters sang songs dedicated to Diogo Jota, who used to wear the number 20.

Such an emotional moment set the tone for the battle, which had a lot of drama and plenty of high-paced football, which we missed so much these past few months.

The match against the Cherries was a perfect chance for Liverpool's newcomers to show Anfield and the world what they are made of. And one man made the most of it - Hugo Ekitike.

After scoring in the Community Shield a few days ago, the French forward added another goal and an assist on his Premier League debut.

Alexis Mac Allister passed him the ball in the midfield near the 40th-minute mark, as Ekitike made a run towards the box. He was a bit lucky though, but show a lot of class as the ball bounced back to his leg and he slotted it nicely for 1-0.

He was maybe even smoother after the break, as he fed Cody Gakpo with the ball inside the rival's box. The Dutch ran along the edge of the area, found enough space and then slotted it low into the bottom corner for 2-0.

At that point, we were sure the points would stay at Anfield, but Antoine Semenyo's vengeance was about to change all that.

Bournemouth's striker reported that he was a victim of racial abuse by a Liverpool fan in the first half.

Referee Anthony Taylor stopped the play around the half-hour mark before talking to both managers on the touchline.

Liverpool and Bournemouth captains Virgil van Dijk and Adam Smith were then called over to the benches to be briefed before the match resumed four minutes later, while the score was still 0-0. Semenyo reported that someone in the stands racially abused him.

An anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd inside Anfield once the half-time whistle had blown.

"The incident at Anfield will now be fully investigated. We offer our full support to the player and both clubs.

"Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all," Premier League Match Centre issued the statement on X following the incident.

And Semenyo... Oh, boy, he took it personally after the break! And pushed his side from the abyss to the verge of a draw in just 12 minutes.

After Bournemouth's new keeper Djordje Petrovic prevented his side from conceding the third, Semenyo reacted superbly to David Brooks' pass to peg one back and announce the drama in prospect, 1-2.

It climaxed as he buried one more near the end for a shocking stalemate and silence at Anfield, 2-2.

But it's not a regular stadium or just another ordinary club - this is where magic is not just possible but somewhat regular.

And it came tonight through none other than almost forgotten Federico Chiesa - the Italian forward came on in the second half and transformed into a hero after he kept perfect balance and composure amid chaos in the Cherries' box, 3-2. That was his first-ever Premier League goal!

Lastly, Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah put the cherry on top of this triumph over Cherries with a resolute shot and a standing ovation from the Scousers.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 1

Friday

Liverpool - Bournemouth 4-2 (1-0)

/Ekitike 37, Gakpo 49, Chiesa 88, Salah 90+4 - Semenyo 64,76/

Saturday

14.30: (2.30) Aston Villa (3.60) Newcastle (3.20)

17.00: (1.95) Brighton (3.50) Fulham (3.90)

17.00: (3.20) Sunderland (3.45) West Ham (2.35)

17.00: (1.38) Tottenham (4.70) Burnley (8.50)

19.30: (6.75) Wolverhampton (4.40) Man.City (1.48)

Sunday

16.00: (1.63) Chelsea (3.80) Crystal Palace (5.70)

16.00: (2.20) Nott.Forest (3.40) Brentford (3.30)

18.30: (3.60) Man.Utd. (3.50) Arsenal (2.15)

Monday

22.00: (2.50) Leeds (3.25) Everton (2.90)

***odds are subject to change***