The 2025/26 Premier League season began with a pulsating 4-2 victory for Liverpool over Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15, 2025, in a match that blended high-octane football with emotional tributes to the late Diogo Jota. Liverpool, the defending champions under Arne Slot, showcased their attacking depth despite a resilient Bournemouth fightback, with late goals securing the win. Here's a detailed breakdown of the match, key statistics, manager comments, and the player of the match.
The game started with Liverpool as favorites, bolstered by a £250m summer transfer haul including Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremie Frimpong. Bournemouth, managed by Andoni Iraola, were depleted by injuries to Enes Unal, Lewis Cook, and Justin Kluivert. Despite this, the Cherries showed spirit, briefly leveling the score before Liverpool’s late heroics.
The match saw an early pause due to a reported racist remark aimed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, prompting a swift response from officials and a unified show of support from fans. On the pitch, Hugo Ekitike opened the scoring in the 37th minute, pouncing on a Marcos Senesi error and firing past Djordje Petrovic, celebrating with a tribute to Jota by signaling his retired number 20. Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th minute, finishing a move initiated by Ekitike after a corner, also honoring Jota in his celebration.
Bournemouth fought back, with Semenyo scoring in the 64th minute after a David Brooks assist on a counter-attack, beating Alisson Becker. Semenyo struck again in the 77th minute, capitalizing on a Liverpool defensive error to equalize with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. Just as Bournemouth sensed an upset, substitute Federico Chiesa restored Liverpool’s lead in the 89th minute,
calmly placing a shot after an awkward bounce. Mohamed Salah sealed the 4-2 win in the 4th minute of stoppage time, outpacing defenders to score his 187th Premier League goal, tying Andy Cole’s fourth-place record.
Florian Wirtz had a mixed Premier League debut for Liverpool against Bournemouth. He played 82 minutes, showing glimpses of his creativity with 69 touches, 3 key passes, and 77% pass accuracy (37/48). He covered 11.3 km, the most on the pitch, indicating his work rate. However, he struggled with the Premier League's intensity, losing possession 19 times (every 3.6 touches) and winning only 3 of 9 duels. He had one shot, which went wide, and no goals or assists. Fans and pundits, like Steve Nicol, noted his average performance, citing frequent turnovers and difficulty adapting to the physicality. Despite this, his playmaking ability was evident, suggesting potential for growth.
Liverpool have won 11 of their last 12 Premier League games against Bournemouth, with the Cherries losing their last six Anfield visits by a combined 23-2. Liverpool extended their unbeaten run on Premier League opening days to 13 seasons (9 wins, 4 draws), the longest active streak, with their last opening-day loss in 2012-13 to West Brom. At home in August, they’re unbeaten in 13 Premier League games (11 wins, 2 draws) since a 2015 loss to West Ham. Liverpool also won 9 of their last 10 Friday night Premier League games, underscoring their strong start.
Arne Slot, speaking post-match, praised his team’s resilience: “We showed character to come back after Bournemouth made it 2-2. The new signings brought energy, but it was the squad’s depth—Chiesa off the bench, Salah’s quality—that made the difference. The tribute to Diogo [Jota] was emotional; it drove us tonight.” He also condemned the racist incident, saying, “There’s no place for that in football. We stand with Antoine [Semenyo].” Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola expressed pride despite the loss: “We showed we can compete, equalizing at Anfield is no small feat. But Liverpool’s quality late on was decisive. Antoine was brilliant, and we’ll support him after what happened.”
The player of the match was Antoine Semenyo, whose brace kept Bournemouth in the game. His pace, power, and clinical finishing troubled Liverpool’s defense, and his composure amid the earlier incident earned him widespread respect. Despite the loss, Semenyo’s performance was a statement of his growing importance to Bournemouth.
This thrilling opener set the tone for Liverpool’s title defense, blending new signings with established stars, while Bournemouth’s display showed they’ll be no pushovers. The emotional weight of Jota’s tribute and the handling of the Semenyo incident underscored football’s power to unite, making this a memorable start to the 2025/26 season.
