Liverpool began their defense of the league championship on Friday with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield, leaving the champions with mixed emotions.

In attack and spirit, the team showed promise, but defensively they continued their poor form from the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace.

Questions remain over whether the Reds can secure back-to-back titles for the first time since the 1982/83 season.

Media commentary was harsh: "Liverpool’s defensive weakness was exposed in full."

Goals from Hugo Ekitike in the 37th minute and Cody Gakpo in the 49th gave the impression of a routine win, but a quick double by Antoine Semenyo in the 64th and 76th minutes shocked the hosts and threatened to spoil the occasion.

The unlikely hero was Federico Chiesa, who scored his first Premier League goal in the 88th minute just six minutes after coming off the bench.

Mohamed Salah sealed the victory with a stoppage-time strike in the 94th minute.

In tears, Salah celebrated with supporters, who sang Diogo Jota’s song in memory of the forward killed in a car accident in Spain a month ago.

“It was a great game to watch,” said coach Arne Slot afterwards.

“That’s what makes football so special—high tempo, no pauses, no time-wasting.

Credit to them: they were two goals down and kept fighting, and so did we when they came back.

Our defense was in place for their goals, but with Bournemouth’s pace they found ways through.

They also experienced our strength.

Bournemouth faced a team that never gives up.

We lost many players this summer, but not our mentality.”

Reflecting on the turning point at 2-2, Slot added: “Normally at that moment, everyone knows which player I would look to.

I would have liked to bring on Diogo Jota, but I couldn’t for tragic reasons.

Tonight, the fans and players did what he so often did for us.”

The match was briefly halted after racist chants were directed at Semenyo.

“The club issued a clear statement.

We do not want this in football,” Slot said.

“We do not want it in stadiums, and certainly not at Anfield.”

Chiesa, who had only six appearances last season, celebrated his debut league goal: “Unfortunately, one of my previous goals didn’t count because it was at Wembley and we lost, but today it was a winning goal.

I helped my team gain the advantage in a very tough game.

It took me a year to score in the Premier League, but as we say in Italian: better late than never.”

On his future at the club, the Italian said: “I am happy at Liverpool.

I want to stay here, fight for my place, and win many trophies.”