English Premier League champions Liverpool staged a late fightback to begin their title defense with a 4-2 win over Bournemouth on an emotional night at Anfield.
In the first match of the 2025-26 EPL season, the Reds squandered a two-goal lead before scoring two late goals as Anfield paid tribute to Diogo Jota.
Former Portuguese forward Jota died in tragic circumstances alongside his brother in July and was honored in Liverpool’s first official match at Anfield since his unfortunate demise.
Arne Slot had led the Reds to a remarkable league title triumph last campaign, ending Manchester City’s four-year stronghold on the trophy.
The additions of key signings like Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez in the offseason served as a big boost as they hope to fend off pressure from rivals to win a second consecutive title.
French forward Hugo Ekitike, who announced his arrival to English football with the opener in the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, opened the scoring in the 37th minute before paying tribute to Jota during his celebrations.
The summer signing proved to be the star of the show, setting up Dutch forward Cody Gakpo who created space to slot in the second after the break.
Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, who had earlier been subjected to a racist abuse in the match, halved the deficit after sneaking in behind the defense to knock the ball past Alisson in the Liverpool goal.
The Ghana star got his second of the game in the 76th minute with a brilliant individual effort, to make the game 2-2 with 14 minutes remaining.
However, the champions had other ideas as substitute Federico Chiesa scored his first-ever Premier League goal with his second touch of the game in the 88th minute to put Liverpool back in the lead.
Last season golden boot winner Mohamed Salah, then made history in stoppage time with the champions fourth, becoming the first player to score in 10 consecutive opening weekends in the league.
The Egyptian attacker was left in tears after the match, applauding the fans after more tribute was paid to Jota.
The Reds are up next against Newcastle United on the 25th of August, with the match scheduled to hold at the St James Park.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
