Liverpool began their Premier League title defense with a pulsating 4-2 comeback win over Bournemouth at . from Hugo Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, and sealed all three points for the champions after Bournemouth threatened an upset through Antoine Semenyo’s second-half brace.

Ekitike opens his Premier League account

After a cagey start and a pause in play due to a racist comment directed at Semenyo (the wheelchair dude was kicked out), it was Liverpool’s new No. 9 who made the breakthrough. Hugo Ekitike capitalized on a deflection to race through and calmly slot past Petrovic for his first Premier League goal in the 37th minute.

Ekitike nearly added a second moments later, nodding just over from Gakpo’s cross.

Gakpo doubles the lead, but Bournemouth bite back

Right after the restart, Liverpool struck again. Ekitike dropped deep and laid it off for Cody Gakpo, who danced across the box and slotted into the far corner to make it 2-0 in the 49th minute.

But Bournemouth hit back quickly through Semenyo, who latched onto a low cross in the 64th minute and then pulled off a stunning solo run in the 76th to equalize at 2-2. The Ghanaian carved through Liverpool’s defense and fired past Alisson in what could be an early goal-of-the-season contender—a proper dunk on the racist.

Chiesa arrives in style

The game looked to be slipping from Liverpool’s control until Federico Chiesa, making a rare appearance off the bench, pounced on a loose ball in the 88th minute. Salah’s cross caused chaos, and after a deflection, Chiesa volleyed home to restore the lead.

Salah seals it late

In stoppage time, it was fittingly Mohamed Salah who put the game to bed. Sprinting to meet an Endo long ball, Salah shrugged off James Hill, created space, and slotted past Petrovic in the 94th minute to make it 4-2. In doing so, Salah upped his record of having more goals on Premier League openers than any other player in history. The Egyptian dedicated his goal and celebration to the late Diogo Jota.