THE Premier League has seen a few extraordinary opening nights down the years but never one to compare with this.
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo – who had earlier reported a fan at Anfield for racial abuse – hammered a sensational second-half double as the champions blew a two-goal lead.
Yet Federico Chiesa’s late volley rescued victory for Arne Slot’s side – the Italian’s first Premier League goal, a year after his arrival.
Chiesa had arrived as a curious late sub for £100million debutant Florian Wirtz – yet ended up stealing the show.
It had been a night when Liverpool paid poignant tribute to a fallen hero, Diogo Jota, and welcomed a new goalscoring star, Hugo Ekitike, but proceedings were soured by the alleged vile incident of racism.
The Premier League was back and all facets of human life were very much on display.
Not least the skill and courage of Semenyo, who equalised with a dash from 70 yards out, a cute dummy of Ibrahima Konate and the coolest of finishes.
It exposed the defensive frailties of Slot’s new-look Liverpool – with full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong hauled off after shaky displays when the Reds were 2-0 up through Ekitike and Cody Gakpo.
Slot has spent north of £300million this summer and wants to splash out plenty more but his champions – who lost last Sunday’s Community Shield to Crystal Palace – are looking vulnerable.,
Just six weeks after the tragic death of Jota, Anfield put on stirring tributes to the late Portuguese forward – promising his widow and children that ‘Anfield will always be your home’ before an immaculate minute’s silence.
But marring it all was the antics of one supporter in the home section, who was reported for racial abuse by Semenyo.
The Bournemouth star appeared to cop an earful from a fan in a wheelchair, as he prepared to take a long throw-in – with play stopped moments later.
As Slot paraded four new signings, Bournemouth had last season’s first-choice back four torn apart, with three of them heading off to some of Europe’s grandest clubs – including Liverpool’s Kerkez.
The Cherries had played a major role in easing Liverpool’s path to the title last season by doing the double over runners-up Arsenal.
But they knew they had their work cut out due to the quality of the opposition and the emotion of the occasion.
Iraola handed debuts to former Chelsea keeper Djordje Petrovic, as well as French defenders Bafode Diakite and Adrien Truffert.
And the Cherries back line was soon under the pump, Ekitike sending a pass to Mo Salah, who cut inside Truffert and bent a shot which Petrovic pushed over the bar.
Virgil van Dijk then headed over from a Salah centre – before Semenyo skied one from six yards from Truffert’s cross.
The first major controversy of the season did not take long to arrive – Marco Senesi stretched out an arm and handled to deny Ekitike a clear run on goal from the halfway line but VAR did not advise ref Anthony Taylor to award a red card.
There had only just been a rousing, signing tribute to Jota on 20 minutes, when the Anfield atmosphere was ruined by one supporter abusing Semenyo as he wound up to take a long throw-in.
Soon, the match was paused while Taylor explained to managers Slot and Andoni Iraola that Semenyo had reported that he’d been racially abused.
The winger had just barged Wirtz off the ball firmly but fairly before he was hit with heavy challenges from Kerkez and Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool, who had looked defensively wobbly throughout pre-season, were still being unpicked down the flanks – and Marcus Tavernier soon scuffed a shot from an Adam Smith cut-back.
The champions had been by no means convincing before they seized the line on 37 minutes.
Collecting a Mac Allister pass, Ekitike ran at the Cherries defence and the ball ricocheted off Senesi before the Frenchman coolly slotted home, giving Petrovic the eyes and sending him the wrong way.
Ekitike gestured a two and a zero in tribute to Jota then clasped his hands in prayer.
Within a minute, the scorer headed over from a Gakpo centre.
Gakpo gave Slot’s side a two-goal cushion on 48 minutes, collecting a pass from Ekitike, passing three defenders and side-footed inside the far post.
Mac Allister’s long-ranger was tipped over by Petrovic but with both of Liverpool’s new full-backs struggling defensively, Slot sent on Andy Robertson and Wataru Endo in place of Frimpong and Kerkez.
It didn’t work for the Reds boss as Bournemouth pulled one back, an artful low centre from David Brooks attacked by a darting Semenyo, whose shot evaded Allison.
Suddenly, Liverpool were seriously under the pump, Bournemouth pinning them back before Joe Gomez arrived as Slot’s third right-back of the night and Ekitike was withdrawn.
Semenyo then pelted forward from well inside his own half to outfox Konate and fire the equaliser.
But on a night which was dramatic and unpredictable, Chiesa proved the most dramatic and unpredictable of match-winners in Chiesa, before Salah sealed victory with a tenacious run and clinical winner in injury-time.
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