Liverpool began their title defence as they mean to go on with a victory over Bournemouth at Anfield in a chaotic season opener.
It was an emotional evening to start, given the tributes to the late Diogo Jota who passed away in a car accident in July. The rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone and the overall support moved players to tears, with Mohamed Salah hanging around after the game for an emotional rendition of Jota’s famous chant.
Pertaining to the 90 minutes, a handball controversy involving Marcos Senesi, delays amid player reports of racial abuse and Antoine Semenyo’s standout performance had fans on the edge of their seats one way or the other. In the end, the Reds dug deep and found the winning goal late in the game to secure all three points.
The top spenders and top sellers have work to do, but anything other than three points would have been a disappointment.
Who Needs Isak When You’ve Got Ekitiké?
Hugo Ekitiké made his mark, becoming the 15th player to score on his Liverpool debut to open the scoring in the 37th minute. The former Eintracht Frankfurt forward impressed during pre-season and the Community Shield, but he is officially off the mark in the top flight.
Now, Liverpool fans are likely clamouring for the club to get Alexander Isak through the door, but Newcastle United are currently adamant that the Swede is not for sale this summer despite the player seemingly adamant he will not represent the club again.
It was a tense game overall and Liverpool failed to show the same quality previously displayed in pre-season, but if Ekitiké continues to perform, a world in which they don’t get Isak might not be so bad after all. Of course, the Swede would take the Reds to another level and elevate the squad depth massively, but the Frenchman is proving a natural fit so far under Arne Slot.
Part of what has made Ekitiké exciting to watch so far is the interchanging runs he, Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz at times were making. The left side looks to be very dynamic early, and the right side still boasts Mohamed Salah.
Federico Chiesa, the Unlikely Hero
In the 89th minute, after coughing up a two-goal lead, Federico Chiesa rescued the Reds scoring the winner.
Signed last summer in a transfer window heavily criticised given the lack of incomings in Slot’s first season, Chiesa was the lone option added to a squad that went on to win the league. The Italian struggled to have a real impact in an attack that boasted quality and has been heavily linked with an exit as a result.
On a night where major summer signings made their first start in front of a raucous Anfield crowd, it was last summer’s sole signing to make the difference in the end—his first-ever Premier League goal. Chiesa latched on to a loose ball in the box after a cross from Salah to fire one past Đorđe Petrović. An impact moment and already a memorable one for the Reds on the first day of the new season.
If Chiesa can stay fit and have a similar impact throughout the campaign, perhaps Slot has another rejuvenation project on his hands that will pay dividends in the way Ryan Gravenberch did last season.
Early Signs of a Title Winner... Again
Every season, pundits, fans, rivals, whoever, always herald teams who find a way to secure three points when they aren’t at their best. Liverpool certainly were on top at times and dominated possession, but the Reds could not find a way through as easily as they would have hoped.
If not for Marcos Senesi’s poor attempt to win the ball off of Ekitiké, the Reds might’ve had to wait even longer to find the first goal of the season. Emotions were already riding high given the controversial handball decision, but finding the goal came at the perfect time. Doubling their lead right out of the tunnel looked to have the Reds comfortably cruising to victory.
Then, Antoine Semenyo struck on two lethal counter-attacks and it looked like perhaps points dropped.
Liverpool don’t have the attacking depth they had last season despite the big-money signings, and they are especially lacking depth in defence. When you are trailing, or level with a team in crucial games, and points dropped now or 20 weeks later are still worth the same, someone has to step up. This time, it was Chiesa with his first Premier League goal ever.
The Reds are predicted to defend their title, and this was a showing of what made them title contenders, and eventual winners, last season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Things We Learned From Liverpool’s Victory in Premier League Season Opener.