Credited from: ALJAZEERA
Liverpool commenced their Premier League title defense with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15, led by late goals from talisman Mo Salah and substitute Federico Chiesa. An emotional atmosphere surrounded the match due to the recent death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota in July, as the team sought to honor his memory throughout the evening, according to Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.
The match saw newcomer Hugo Ekitike giving Liverpool an early lead with a goal in the 37th minute, followed shortly by Cody Gakpo's strike at the 49th minute, putting the home team ahead by two. However, Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo stunned the fans by netting two goals in the 64th and 76th minutes after reporting racist abuse, which led to a brief suspension of the match, as reported by Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.