EPL: Salah Makes History as Liverpool Launch Title Defence With Six-goal Thriller Against Bournemouth

Liverpool began the defence of their Premier League crown in thrilling fashion, defeating Bournemouth 4-2 at Anfield in a pulsating opening-day clash that saw Mohamed Salah break yet another record.

The Egyptian forward’s stoppage-time strike not only sealed the points but also made him the first player in Premier League history to score 10 goals on Matchday 1.

Remarkably, Salah has now either scored or assisted in every opening league fixture since joining Liverpool in 2017, underscoring his status as a man for the big occasion.

Arne Slot’s side extended their unbeaten run on the opening weekend to 13 matches, the longest current streak in the league, with a record of 10 wins and three draws since 2012.

Ekitike’s dream debut

New signing Hugo Ekitike wasted no time making an impact, opening the scoring in the 37th minute after latching onto Alexis Mac Allister’s clever pass.

The Frenchman, who also set up another goal, became the first French player to both score and assist on his Premier League debut.

Cody Gakpo doubled the lead shortly after the restart, finishing smartly from Ekitike’s assist in the 49th minute.

At that point, Liverpool appeared in full control, but Bournemouth hit back through Antoine Semenyo, who struck twice in the space of 12 minutes to level the contest.

His first came in the 64th minute from David Brooks’ cross, before Hamed Traore’s breakaway set up his second in the 76th minute.

Late surge settles it

The champions responded with the composure of seasoned title-holders. Federico Chiesa, making his own debut after arriving from Juventus, pounced on a loose ball in the 88th minute to restore Liverpool’s lead.

Then, deep into added time, Wataru Endo fed Salah, who clinically drove the ball past Djordje Petrovic to secure a 4-2 victory and his slice of history.

Slot’s men dominated possession with 61% of the ball and carved out the better chances, but Bournemouth’s resilience ensured a lively contest until the final whistle.

Liverpool will take confidence not just from the three points but also from the contributions of their summer signings, as Ekitike and Chiesa made immediate statements.

And with Salah showing no signs of slowing down, the champions look primed for another serious tilt at the title.