PREMIER LEAGUE : LIVERPOOL VS BOURNEMOUTH – 15/08/2025 (PHOTO – MO SALAH)

IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL NIGHT AT ANFIELD LAST NIGHT, AS THE MATCH WAS DEDICATED TO DIOGO JOTA AND HIS BROTHER ANDRE SILVA, DURING WHICH THEIR FAMILIES WERE IN ATTENDANCE.

THE MATCH ITSELF WAS THRILLING, BUT MARRED A LITTLE BY THE RACIST ABUSE WHICH ANTOINE SEMENYO HAD RECEIVED IN THE FIRST-HALF FROM A MEMBER OF THE CROWD, WHO WAS PROMPTLY ESCORTED OFF THE PREMISES. (AND IS NOW BEING INVESTIGATED BY POLICE.) ARNE SLOT WAS FUMING AND WENT OVER TO CONSOLE SEMENYO AS SOON AS THE MATCH HAD FINISHED.

LIVERPOOL MADE 489 PASSES, WITH AN 82% PASS ACCURACY (HAD 62% POSSESSION), AND 19 SHOTS, WITH 10 ON TARGET, INCLUDING A STUNNING EARLY OPENER FROM HUGO EKITIKE (BELOW)

ON HIS DEBUT AT 37 MINS., PROVING THAT HE WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY OF THE £79 MILLION LIVERPOOL HAD PAID EINTRACHT FRANKFURT FOR HIM, AND FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS BY ANOTHER CRACKER FROM CODY GAKPO AT 49 MINS., (BELOW)

MEANING THAT LIVERPOOL WERE 2 – 0 UP AT HALF-TIME!

BOURNEMOUTH MADE 289 PASSES, WITH A 69% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 10 SHOTS, WITH 3 ON TARGET, INCLUDING A STUNNING BRACE FROM ANTOINE SEMENYO AT 64 MINS. AND 76 MINS., (BELOW)

PROVING THE OLD ADAGE CORRECT “STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES – BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME” – WHAT AMAZING SPIRIT!

SO, WHAT AN EVENTFUL EVENING! IT WAS NOW 2 – 2 AND QUITE LATE IN THE GAME, SO IT LOOKED LIKE IT COULD END EVEN-STEVENS. BUT OUT-OF-THE-BLUE, LIVERPOOL SEEMED TO SUMMON ALL THEIR ENERGY, WITH FEDERICO CHIESA SCORING AN ABSOLUTE BEAUT AT 88 MINS.,

AND MO SALAH NETTING THE MOST MAGNIFICENT FINISHER IN STOPPAGE TIME, SEALING THE WINNING GOAL, AFTER WHICH HE BROKE DOWN IN TEARS (BELOW)

AND RE-ENACTED DIOGO JOTA’S ‘BABY SHARK’ CELEBRATION (BELOW)

MUCH TO THE DELIGHT OF THE CROWD!  SO THE MATCH EVENTUALLY CULMINATED IN A 4 – 2 WIN TO LIVERPOOL!

WHAT A SUPERB EVENING! THE OPENING MATCH OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON WAS FULL OF EMOTION, AND LOVE, AND WITH THE LIVERPOOL CROWD SINGING TRIBUTES TO DIOGO JOTA AND ANDRE SILVA AND THE FACT THAT ANTOINE SEMENYO WAS ABLE TO PICK HIMSELF BACK UP AFTER THE RACIST ABUSE, AND DO HIS TALKING WITH HIS GOAL-SCORING SKILLS, THE TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE APPARENT! THE ONLY LOSER (AND OUTSIDER) LAST NIGHT WAS THE PERSON SHOUTING RACIST ABUSE. AND THAT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN THE CASE.

ARNE SLOT CONGRATULATES MO SALAH FOR SCORING THE WINNING GOAL

AFTER THE MATCH LIVERPOOL MANAGER ARNE SLOT DESCRIBED LIVERPOOL’S 4 – 2 VICTORY AS A GREAT PREMIER LEAGUE GAME AND PAID TRIBUTE TO THE POWERFUL WAY SUPPORTERS REMEMBERED DIOGO JOTA AND ANDRE SILVA AT ANFIELD.

BY AMANDA WATERS