Premier League
Liverpool v Bournemouth match halted for racist abuse incident
Liverpool’s Premier League season-opening match against Bournemouth was briefly halted on Friday after visiting forward Antoine Semenyo reported getting racist abuse from the crowd.
Referee Anthony Taylor stopped play at a Liverpool corner in the 29th minute to address the incident, summoning both managers to the touchline for a briefing.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Bournemouth counterpart Adam Smith were then called over to the benches for further instructions before play resumed four minutes later.
Following halftime, an anti-discrimination message was read out to the crowd at Anfield.
Ghana international Semenyo, 25, went on to score twice after play resumed, helping his side to briefly level the score before reigning Premier League champions Liverpool secured a 4-2 victory with a late surge.
“We’re very concerned about the allegation of discrimination from an area of the crowd,” England’s Football Association said in a statement.
“Incidents of this nature have no place in our game, and we will work closely with the match officials, the clubs, and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and ensure that the appropriate action is taken.”
Merseyside Police said a 47-year-old man had been ejected from Anfield after reports of the racist abuse, adding that an investigation was under way. Liverpool said they would fully support the police investigation.
“Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form,” Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, the match commander for the game, said in a statement.
“We take incidents like this very seriously, and in cases like this we will be proactively seeking football banning orders, with the club, against those responsible.
“There is no place for racism and it is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards, or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action like we did this evening”
Liverpool coach Arne Slot was upset about the incident.
“It is clear that we do not want this in football,” the Dutchman said. “We definitely don’t want this at Anfield … This should never happen in football, let alone at Anfield.”
Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola said: “Straight away, Antoine and the referee told us. The person has been identified.
“It’s a big shame that these things keep happening. It’s the first game of the season, a lovely game of football, and I have to speak about these things happening.”
The incident at Anfield follows reports of Tottenham Hotspur’s French forward Mathys Tel being subjected to racist abuse on social media after missing a penalty in his side’s UEFA Super Cup defeat by Paris St Germain on Wednesday.
-Reuters
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Liverpool kicked off the defence of their Premier League title in an entertaining 4-2 victory over Bournemouth on Friday, with manager Arne Slot bowled over by the atmosphere on an emotional Anfield evening as two late goals stole the show.
“Do you have half an hour?” the Dutchman said laughing when asked to sum up a night that started with a tribute to their Portugal forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash last month.
Liverpool talisman Mo Salah and substitute Federico Chiesa struck after Antoine Semenyo’s double drew Bournemouth level.
“Unbelievable atmosphere in the final minutes,” Slot said.
“I thought that winning the league here (last season) will 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.
“Three teams involved in a great game. Why three teams? Bournemouth and us playing full gas for 96 minutes, or even longer, 99 I think, and the referee (Anthony Taylor) who just kept the game going, didn’t blow his whistle every single time for every small thing.
“It was a great game to watch. In the end, we won it. So that helps for my emotions.”
However, the overriding emotion on the night, Slot said, was how “impressive and powerful the tribute for Jota was.”
TOUCHING MOMENTS
There were numerous touching moments at Anfield in honour of the Liverpool forward and his brother Andre Silva, who also died in the incident in northern Spain in July.
“They sang for him (Jota) before the game, in the first minute, after 20 minutes, and again at the end. It was so impressive, so powerful,” Slot said.
“His wife is here, his children are here, and for them it might be special to hear how much he’s loved over here.”
Scoring hero Chiesa, whose future at the club has been the subject of speculation, delivered a performance that felt like a gift to the fans who have sung his name since last season.
“He gave them something in return,” Slot said.
The one negative for Liverpool was their defensive frailty, with Semenyo twice capitalising on the Reds’ loose back line.
“Normally, you can complain about our players not sprinting back hard enough, but they did,” Slot said.
“The only thing we need to do better, but that’s in an ideal world, is where do you lose a ball? The best way is not to lose a ball. And if you do … lose it with a shot, or it ends up in a corner kick or a goal kick, but don’t lose it at your own 18-yard line.
“But I always judge, how hard do they sprint back? And in both situations, they sprinted back really hard.”
-Reuters
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Premier League referees are likely to award more penalties this season in a tougher response to players who grapple and hold opponents in the penalty area.
Howard Webb, chief operating officer of referees’ body the PGMOL, told reporters on Thursday that feedback from a recent Premier League survey had highlighted “a few too many” clear holding offences going unpunished.
He said VAR could intervene in situations of “extreme non-footballing action” where a player was clearly dragging another to the ground, even off the ball.
“I would expect, if we’re sitting around this table this time next year, there to have been a few more penalties given for holding offences than what we’ve seen (last season),” he said.
“But not a huge swing of the pendulum, because that’s really difficult to sustain over a period of time.”
Webb said there would still be “some grey zone situations where the referee’s call stands, where the referee says ‘No, it’s a small touch, it’s not impacting his ability to move the ball, it’s mutual holding.
“That will stay the referee’s call.
“When there’s no considerations to support the referee’s call, then we’ll expect VAR to get involved as well,” added Webb.
Nottingham Forest were awarded a penalty, confirmed after a VAR check, last season in a 7-0 thrashing of Brighton & Hove Albion when Tariq Lamptey bundled Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White to the ground.
A subsequent Premier League statement referred to “sustained holding with no attempt to play the ball”.
The PGMOL has tried before to reduce holding but Webb said this time the approach would be more lasting.
“This is not meant to be a two-week campaign, a six-week campaign, August and September and then forget all about it,” he explained.
“If we went in like a steam train and gave every little bit of contact, then it would be a six week campaign because we get told very quickly to ease off on what we’re doing.
“We have to take the game with us, we have to be credible.”
The new season kicks off on Friday when champions Liverpool host Bournemouth.
-Reuters
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Fresh off a dominant title-winning campaign, Liverpool kick off the new Premier League season on Friday as the team to beat, as the Reds have transitioned from Juergen Klopp’s high-octane chaos to a more measured possession-based style under Arne Slot.
Liverpool host Bournemouth in the season’s curtain-raiser on what is sure to be an emotional night at Anfield after the July 3 death of forward Diogo Jota in a car crash.
Liverpool, who locked up last year’s title with four matches to spare, had a bold and ambitious summer, signing Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, who headline a revamped attack that promises to be among the most explosive in the league. They also added pace at fullback by acquiring Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk remain central pillars.
The key question is can Liverpool’s new-look defence hold firm to support a title repeat?
Slot is cautiously optimistic.
“The reason that it is so difficult is there are so many competitors who can also win the league here,” he said on Thursday. “To win it once is already very, very special. That is unbelievable if you are able to do it (twice) in this league. This year it is probably going to be harder than before.”
Bournemouth finished ninth last season.
Manchester City travel to Wolverhampton on Saturday as Pep Guardiola looks to restore his revamped team to their former glory after last term’s third-place disappointment.
Rodri, whose absence last season due to a serious knee injury contributed to City’s poor campaign, is facing a race to get fit for their opening match after picking up an injury during the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Ballon d’Or winner has returned to training, but Guardiola said he will not be “really, really fit” until after the September international break.
City finished 13 points behind Liverpool last season. Wolves were 16th.
Perennial contenders Arsenal, who have finished second three seasons running, travel to Old Trafford on Sunday to play Manchester United in a much-anticipated clash of two revamped teams.
Desperate to break the second-place cycle, the Gunners added quality and depth in signing Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard to bolster the midfield, and Viktor Gyökeres to help solve their long-standing striker issue.
Arsenal’s defence remains elite — and will be put to the test against United’s brand new front three of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo.
After their dismal 15th-place finish last season under new boss Ruben Amorim, United have been in full rebuild mode, with
expectations high but patience wearing thin.
The Red Devils are aiming for a top-four finish and a return to European football. But United remain a wild card. The big question is can Amorim quickly galvanise his new-look squad into a competitive force, or will this be another frustrating season of transition?
The three promoted clubs get a taste of England’s top flight this weekend with Sunderland hosting West Ham United and Burnley travelling to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, and Leeds United hosting Everton on Monday.
-Reuters
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