Liverpool edge Bournemouth 4-2: Late Chiesa and Salah settle pulsating opener

Aug, 24 2025

A rollercoaster at Anfield

Champions don’t always start with control; sometimes they start with chaos. That’s exactly how it felt at Anfield as Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-2 to launch their Premier League title defense with a jolt of drama and a reminder that the top teams still know how to suffer and win.

On the surface, it looked routine early on. Hugo Ekitike steered Liverpool ahead in the 37th minute, the finish a neat confirmation of a well-timed run through the inside-right channel. Just after the break, Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th minute, guiding a low effort beyond a scramble in the box. At 2-0, the Kop exhaled. For a moment, this had the feel of a comfortable opening day at home.

Bournemouth tore up that script. Antoine Semenyo, restless and relentless, dragged the visitors back into it with a goal on 64 minutes, then stunned Anfield by equalising in the 76th. His movement was sharp, his finishing decisive, and Liverpool’s back line—so assured for an hour—suddenly looked human. From 2-0 up to 2-2, the mood flipped. You could feel the tension rise.

That’s when the champions shed the rust and showed steel. Federico Chiesa, introduced from the bench to change the rhythm, found the decisive strike at 88 minutes, curling home with the kind of composure that drains panic from a stadium. Mohamed Salah, who had been probing all evening, slammed the door in stoppage time at 90+4, smashing in the fourth to put the game out of reach. The heart rate on Merseyside finally eased.

Beyond the scoreline, the match felt like a window into Liverpool’s new-season identity. The starting XI featured Alisson Becker; a back four of Milos Kerkez, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and Jeremie Frimpong; a midfield pairing of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai; and a 4-2-3-1 attack with Gakpo on the left, Florian Wirtz as the No. 10, Salah wide right, and Ekitike leading the line. There’s familiarity in the big names and fresh energy in the newer ones. It won them the points, but not without a scare.

Tactics, turning points, and what it means

This was a match of phases. Liverpool controlled the first half with clean structure: Mac Allister’s calm distribution and Szoboszlai’s press resistance gave Wirtz time between the lines, while Frimpong’s raids on the right pinned Bournemouth back. The champions were patient, moving the ball side to side, waiting for Salah or Gakpo to isolate their full-backs. When Ekitike scored, it was the product of sustained territory rather than a sudden spark.

After the interval, Gakpo’s goal should have settled it, but Bournemouth responded by compressing the middle and hunting for turnovers. Semenyo became the match’s pivot. He darted into the spaces behind Liverpool’s advanced full-backs, asking van Dijk and Konaté to make difficult, backwards-facing decisions. That’s where the contest flipped—from controlled possession to frantic transition.

Liverpool needed fresh legs and different angles. Chiesa brought exactly that—direct running, a willingness to take on defenders, and the nerve to shoot early. His 88th-minute winner looked simple, but it came from good timing: arriving just as Bournemouth’s defensive shape drifted toward Salah. The forward’s cut was elegant; the finish was cold.

Salah’s late strike had a different feel—more force than finesse. By then Bournemouth had pushed bodies up, leaving gaps, and Liverpool’s counters looked vicious again. When the chance fell, Salah didn’t hesitate. Four goals on the opening night, from four different scorers, hints at a spread of responsibility this season that could serve the champions well in tight races and tiring months.

For Bournemouth, there’s more than consolation in the performance. They didn’t fold at 2-0. They stayed brave with and without the ball, and Semenyo’s brace rewards that mentality. Their pressing triggers after the hour mark exposed Liverpool’s temporary discomfort in transition, which other teams will note. If you’re a Bournemouth fan, you leave Anfield disappointed by the result, encouraged by the fight, and quietly excited about what those attacking patterns might become with more time.

From Liverpool’s perspective, the balance will be the talking point. The full-backs pushed high—especially Frimpong—stretching Bournemouth and creating the width that freed Wirtz and Salah. But those same attacking instincts can leave space to attack when possession is lost. It’s a trade-off the champions know well. On opening night, they paid for it, then profited from it.

There was also the question of chemistry. Wirtz’s touch weight and body shape when receiving between the lines repeatedly broke Bournemouth’s midfield screen. Ekitike’s movement complemented that—dropping off just enough to distract centre-backs without clogging Wirtz’s zone. Add Gakpo’s timing on the far post and Salah’s diagonal runs, and you get an attack that can hurt teams in waves. It wasn’t flawless, but it felt dangerous at almost every turn.

The spine, too, had its moments. Alisson’s handling under pressure was secure, even when Bournemouth bombed the box late on. Van Dijk and Konaté were dominant aerially for long stretches; they just got pulled into footraces when the game opened up. Mac Allister read the chaos well in the final 10 minutes, slowing Bournemouth’s counters with smart fouls and calm passes. Those small actions don’t make highlights, but they steady a team in stormy spells.

Opening days tell you only so much. Heavy legs are normal. Rhythm comes and goes. But this win delivered two clear messages. First, Liverpool have match-winners on and off the bench—Chiesa’s impact was instant. Second, they can still flip a game with late goals, which matters in tight title races. You don’t want to keep needing them, but you definitely want to have them.

And for Bournemouth? They’ll lose sleep over the 88th minute, but not over their approach. They turned a hostile ground into a nerve centre, and their front line—led by Semenyo—showed it can stretch top-four defenses. Take that level into weeks two and three, and points will come.

Matchday 1 is about banking belief as much as banking points. Liverpool banked both.

• 37' — Ekitike opens the scoring after a measured Liverpool move.
• 49' — Gakpo makes it 2-0, finishing low after sustained pressure.
• 64' — Semenyo pulls one back, punishing space in transition.
• 76' — Semenyo levels it, cool finish and a silenced Anfield.
• 88' — Chiesa, off the bench, restores the lead with a composed strike.
• 90+4' — Salah buries the fourth to seal a breathless 4-2 win.

The champions leave with three points, a reminder of their resilience, and a to-do list for the training ground. Bournemouth leave with scars, yes, but also with proof they can bloody the nose of anyone in this league. For a season opener, that’s a useful truth for both sides.