Ekitike biggest winner, Konate in trouble as Liverpool win vs Bournemouth
Liverpool recorded a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth in their first game of the Premier League season on Friday, but it was not a routine win.
The Reds threw away a two-goal lead as Antoine Semenyo exposed frailties in the Liverpool back line with a stunning brace, but they dug deep to secure the three points at Anfield.
Hugo Ekitike scored on his Premier League debut before Cody Gakpo doubled the lead, and Federico Chiesa also netted his first league goal for Liverpool before Mohamed Salah put the result beyond any doubt.
Arne Slot has plenty to ponder after the game, and there were both winners and losers within the Liverpool squad.
Ekitike among winners from Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Liverpool have spent heavily in the summer transfer window, and Alexander Isak could end up moving to Anfield, but Slot will certainly have a headache if he does.
Ekitike was the biggest winner from Liverpool’s clash with Bournemouth, with both his goal and overall display oozing class, and he is quickly proving that he is ready to lead the line under Slot.
- Ekitike scored and assisted in the first two goals, registering four shots and two chances created overall.
- The striker may make himself undroppable even if Isak joins, if his current form continues.
Dominik Szoboszlai also comes out of the match with a lot of credit, with an outstanding performance off the ball, showing that he is perhaps too important to be dropped immediately.
- The arrival of Florian Wirtz meant that the Hungarian was likely to lose his starting spot.
- Szoboszlai covered the most ground, and no one recorded more sprints than the midfielder against Bournemouth.
| Stat | Szoboszlai |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Passes (completed) | 75 (66) |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Shots | 3 |
| Tackles (completed) | 4 (4) |
| Distance covered | 11.5km |
Cody Gakpo also performed well, with his goal an excellent finish, and like Ekitike, his performance against Bournemouth may have done a lot to secure his starting spot amid a lot of uncertainty around Isak.
Florian Wirtz among losers in Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Not everyone was at their best against Bournemouth, and while new signing Ekitike shone, it was a very different story for club-record arrival Wirtz.
The German struggled to get into the game, and with a lot of pressure on Wirtz given his transfer fee and status, it was an unimpressive Anfield bow for the 22-year-old.
- Liverpool’s shakiness in defensive transitions may also mean that Wirtz is sacrificed for a more solid option in some games, and he will be unhappy that such frailties were exposed on his debut.
Ibrahima Konate came off far worse, though, with the centre-back disastrous on both goals, and Jamie Carragher slammed the Liverpool defender after the victory.
If his poor form continues, Konate could lose his place to Marc Guehi, and he did little to silence the noise surrounding his future at Liverpool.
Sign up for the Liverpool News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Liverpool news sent straight to your phone.