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Victor Petkov
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Liverpool beats Bournemouth 4-2 to start Premier League title defence
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The Reds let their opponent to come back from 0-2 down, but managed to clinch the three points in the final minutes

Liverpool began their Premier League title defence in thrilling way, defeating Bournemouth 4-2 in an action-packed season opener at Anfield.

The night began on an emotional note as the home crowd paid tribute to former Reds striker Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a car accident this summer. “You’ll never walk alone” filled the air ahead of minute of silence before the kick-off.

The champions started on a high, with Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah testing visiting goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic early on. Bournemouth responded through Dominic Semenyo, whose header narrowly missed the target. The game’s first flashpoint came in the 13th minute when Marcos Senesi appeared to handle the ball while halting Ekitike’s run towards goal. After a VAR check, no penalty was awarded — a decision that sparked debate on the pitch and in the stands. Tensions rose further when Semenyo complained of racist abuse midway through the half.

Liverpool eventually broke the deadlock just before the interval. Alexis Mac Allister slipped a pass through to Ekitike, who benefited from a fortunate rebound off Senesi before calmly slotting past Petrovic for 1-0.

The hosts doubled their lead shortly after the restart. Ekitike added an assist to his name, finding Cody Gakpo for a simple finish from close range. Bournemouth, though, refused to surrender. A misplaced pass from Dominik Szoboszlai triggered a lightning counterattack, with David Brooks crossing for Semenyo to outpace Virgil van Dijk and pull one back. Minutes later, the Cherries’ forward struck again, embarking on a solo run from just outside his own penalty area before drilling a precise shot beyond Alisson to make it 2-2.

As the match edged towards stoppage time, Liverpool found their breakthrough. A poor defensive clearance fell to Federico Chiesa, who smashed a first-time effort into the net from close range. Deep into added time, Salah put the result beyond doubt, curling a measured strike with his weaker right foot to seal a 4-2 win.