Liverpool thrashed AFC Bournemouth 4-2 in a six-goal thriller at Anfield, with the match marred by racial abuse directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.
The Cherries took an early lead through Ekitike before Gakpo doubled the score for the home side. However, Bournemouth equalized twice to level the match at 2-2 before Salah scored the winner in stoppage time to seal a come-from-behind victory.
Bournemouth’s comeback was inspired by Semenyo, who scored twice and played on despite facing racist abuse from the crowd. The incident occurred during the first half and led to the game being temporarily paused as police attended to Semenyo.
The Premier League has announced that the match will be fully investigated, with all parties supporting Semenyo. Liverpool have condemned the abuse and issued a statement, while the club’s manager, Arne Slot, called for tougher measures to tackle racist behavior in football.
Bournemouth captain Adam Smith expressed his anger and disappointment at the incident, saying it was “totally unacceptable.” Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah showed respect by performing a heartfelt tribute to his late teammate Diogo Jota during the post-match celebration.
The match also saw Federico Chiesa give a hero’s send-off after coming on as a substitute. The Italian forward’s second goal of the game sealed the win for Liverpool.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for greater action to be taken against racist behavior in football. The Premier League and its clubs must take responsibility for creating a safe environment for all players.
In a statement, the Premier League said: “We are deeply disappointed by the racial abuse directed at Antoine Semenyo during our match between Liverpool and Bournemouth. We will not tolerate this kind of behavior and are committed to supporting our players in tackling it.”
Liverpool FC also released a statement condemning the abuse, saying: “We are appalled by the racist abuse directed at Antoine Semenyo during our match against AFC Bournemouth. We stand with our player and all those affected by racism in football. We will do everything possible to support Semenyo and ensure that such incidents do not happen again.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2025/aug/15/liverpool-v-bournemouth-premier-league-live