Slot Reflects on Dramatic 4-2 Victory and Powerful Jota Tribute | OneFootball

Slot’s Reds Dig Deep in Emotional Opener Against Bournemouth

On a day etched with sorrow and celebration, Liverpool began their Premier League title defence in stirring fashion with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield. This was not just an opening fixture. It was the first competitive home match since the devastating loss of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, and the entire occasion became a moving tribute to a beloved player whose memory was honoured with song, banners and a late flurry of goals.

Arne Slot, entering his second season at the helm, had already delivered a Premier League title in his debut campaign. Now, his Liverpool side opened the 2025-26 season in characteristically relentless fashion, combining attacking vigour with emotional intensity, and ultimately securing all three points through last-gasp strikes from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah.

Emotions Run High at Anfield

Slot admitted to Club Official Website that it was difficult to articulate his emotions after the match, with the occasion overshadowing even the football itself.

“If you have half an hour [I can explain how I feel]! But the main emotion should be how impressive and powerful the tribute for Diogo was. The banner the Kop showed, the way You’ll Never Walk Alone was sung, the way they sung for Diogo before the game, in the first minute, after 20 minutes and at the end of the game. It was all so, so impressive and so powerful and that is, I think, what my main emotion is after the game. Then, there was even a game that ended in 4-2 where a lot of things happened.”

That game indeed had everything. From early dominance to a spirited fightback by Bournemouth and a dramatic finish, Anfield saw 99 minutes of drama befitting such an emotional backdrop.

Hugo Ekitike opened his Liverpool account on debut with a composed first-half finish before Cody Gakpo doubled the advantage shortly after the break. It seemed routine at that point, but Antoine Semenyo had other ideas. A clinical brace from the Bournemouth forward levelled the scores and threatened to spoil the script, until Chiesa and Salah restored order with two moments of late brilliance.

Photo @LFC on X

Chiesa Delivers on a Night That Needed a Hero

Slot reserved special praise for Federico Chiesa, whose contribution off the bench proved decisive. His goal in the 88th minute sent the Kop into raptures and capped a turbulent period for the Italian, who had struggled with fitness last season and missed the club’s pre-season tour of Asia.

“After the fans sung for him so many times during the game already and last season as well, I think it is very nice for him to give them something in return – and that’s definitely what he did today. [It was] an unbelievable atmosphere in the final minutes. I thought winning the league here would always be more special than winning a home game against Bournemouth, but the last six or seven minutes… wow. Wow, wow, wow. How impressive that was.”

The manager also acknowledged the significance of Chiesa’s arrival from Serie A and the strong bond already formed between player and supporters.

“That’s difficult for me to tell you because although I am also a fan of this club I am never standing on the Kop and I don’t come up with these songs. The only thing I can come up with maybe is that Federico had a great history, he was a big player deciding to go from Italy to England. You don’t see it that much, players from Italy going to England. I don’t know – maybe it’s also a nice song to sing! But then I probably don’t give him the credit he deserves. I cannot give you the exact answer but that might have something to do with it. He had a very important goal in England for his national team. Maybe our fans remember that.”

Chiesa’s late goal was followed by a clinical finish from Salah deep into stoppage time. With his family in attendance and the memory of Jota still fresh in the minds of everyone at the stadium, it was no surprise to see the Egyptian visibly emotional at full-time.

“I am not sure because I didn’t ask him. I actually didn’t want to go in after the game because I found it so special how our fans reacted today and how they kept on singing at the end of the game for Diogo. I think the whole day and the whole game is, every time you think you cannot expect more from Liverpool fans they top this or they overperform. Again, what a tribute and I think Mo felt after the game how special that was and probably he felt the emotion.We all knew his family is here, his wife is here, and his children are here. For them it might be special to hear how much he is loved over here and with the fans and the banner and what they did. But we also feel the emotions of how much grief they still have. That mixed emotions maybe led to Mo being emotional and I think I felt the same without being in tears, but I definitely felt the same emotions.”

Semenyo Shines Despite Ugly Incident

The game’s emotional weight was compounded by a disturbing incident in the first half involving Antoine Semenyo, which prompted a swift response from both club and police.

“I think it is under investigation with the police now and the club made a very clear statement about what we feel about this. Unfortunately, we definitely have to talk about this, it’s a good thing you talk about this and it’s a good thing that I have to answer this, but after actually this day should be about Diogo and about how the tribute was. But we definitely need to address this because it’s unacceptable in every football stadium, let alone at Anfield. I spoke to him [Semenyo] after the game that we will try to do everything to find that person. I am not 100 per cent sure but I think they already found him. That’s a good thing.Wherever we can help him we will try to do so. Big credit to him, if something happens like this and you can perform so well in the second half then he’s not only a great player, because that I can see [with] how fast he is, but he is also very strong mentally. If something like that happened [and] to get such a second-half performance, that sums up him as a person and him as a player. But, again, [it’s] unacceptable in football in general, let alone at Anfield.”

Semenyo responded by scoring twice, showing a level of composure and quality that lifted Bournemouth and nearly earned them a famous result.

Slot, for his part, admired the spirit of all three parties involved – Bournemouth, Liverpool and referee Simon Hooper.

“Great game, three teams involved in a great game. You’ll ask me why three. Of course, Bournemouth and us playing full gas for 96 minutes or even longer, 99 I think, and the referee that just kept the game going and didn’t blow his whistle every single time for every small thing. I think it was a great game to watch. In the end we won it, so that helps for my emotions, but I think this is what you would like to see. I have said many times last season about our Paris Saint-Germain game and we can’t compare a last-16 game with a first game of football [of the season] in the Premier League in terms of importance, but it was similar. Both teams, all in, high intensity, never gave up both teams and then get a game like this, with a good referee by the way.”

Lessons for Liverpool Despite Victory

Despite the win, Slot did not shy away from areas for improvement, especially around the two goals conceded.

“Not a lot. Normally you can complain about our players not sprinting back hard enough, but they did. The only thing you need to do better – but it’s in an ideal world – is where do you lose the ball? The first ball there is something I can say about that, losing the ball with a trick if you’re 2-0 up is not necessary, maybe if you’re 1-0 down or you really need a goal and you want to force something. But in that moment I think it’s not the way to lose the ball like Dominik [Szoboszlai] did.The second goal, we are a team that likes to attack. We are a team that wants to score goals. Rest defence was in order the moment we lost the ball, we were two-v-one against their number nine, but instead of what Mo usually does, which is getting a cross in or getting a shot in, he squared it just behind. Then give credit to the other team with how many bodies they sprinted to our 18-yard box. It’s fine margins and the best way is to not lose the ball and if you do lose it then lose it with a shot or it ends up in a corner kick or in a goal-kick. But do not lose it at your own 18-yard line or where Dominik lost it. But I always judge how hard do they sprint back and in both situations they sprint back really hard. They gave it all but credit to Bournemouth, who are a very, very fit team as well like us, because we managed to come back after the 2-2.”

In a match that had everything – goals, emotion, controversy and redemption – Liverpool and Arne Slot began their campaign as they mean to go on. With heavy hearts and heads held high, this was a performance to be proud of.