Liverpool began their Premier League title defense with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Bournemouth, weathering a surprising second-half comeback from the visitors. The win, however, did not come without a few nervy moments, as the champions were made to work for the three points at Anfield.
The match began with a poignant tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, before the on-pitch action commenced. Once underway, the Reds, featuring four Premier League debutants, started at a high tempo. Mohamed Salah tested the Bournemouth keeper early, and soon after, Liverpool had a penalty shout for a handball by Marcos Senesi that was waved away.
The deadlock was broken in the 37th minute when Ekitike capitalized on a fortuitous bounce off Senesi to clinically fire home. Liverpool went into halftime with a narrow lead, which was doubled just five minutes into the second half. Ekitike turned provider, setting up Cody Gakpo, who coolly dispatched his shot to make it 2-0.
Just when it seemed Liverpool was cruising to an easy win, Bournemouth shocked Anfield with a spirited comeback. Antoine Semenyo scored twice, exposing the defensive vulnerabilities that have plagued Liverpool in preseason. He first scored from a well-worked team move, and then, with a superb individual effort, he exploited space between the Liverpool center-backs to fire home and level the match.
