Arne Slot’s Liverpool kicked off their Premier League 2025/26 campaign in style at Anfield, edging Bournemouth in a dramatic season opener. New signing Hugo Ekitike made an instant impact, scoring on his debut to set the tone for an action-packed encounter.
The match began with high intensity, and it was Bournemouth’s David Brooks who earned the first yellow card of the new season for time-wasting in the early minutes. Liverpool wasted no time asserting themselves, creating two chances within the opening five minutes—first through Ekitike, wearing number 22, and then from captain Virgil van Dijk.
Controversy struck soon after when an apparent handball by Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi went unpunished by the referee while Ekitike was advancing towards goal. Just moments later, Brooks’ delay in restarting play saw him booked. The breakthrough came in the 37th minute when Ekitike latched onto a precise pass from Alexis Mac Allister to slot home his first goal in Liverpool colours. In celebration, the Frenchman revealed a shirt with the number 20—a tribute to Diogo Jota, who scored the opening goal of last season under Slot’s reign. Liverpool took a 1-0 lead into the break.
The defending champions doubled their advantage just four minutes into the second half, with Ekitike turning provider for Cody Gakpo. The Dutch forward, last season’s second-highest scorer for the Reds, made no mistake from close range to make it 2-0.
However, Bournemouth weren’t done. Antoine Semenyo stunned the home crowd with a quickfire brace in the 64th and 76th minutes, bringing the visitors level and silencing Anfield.
Liverpool’s response was swift and decisive. Federico Chiesa restored the lead with a clinical right-footed strike into the bottom corner before Mohamed Salah sealed the victory in stoppage time with a trademark finish. The Reds claimed a thrilling 4-2 win, securing three points to begin their title defence on a high.