The defender tried to bring the ball under control with his thigh but misjudged it, leaving it loose and vulnerable. ..Continue Reading
As Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike closed in, Senesi appeared to nudge the ball away using his fingers.
Had he not made that touch, Ekitike seemed ready to snatch possession and race through on goal without opposition.
Despite loud protests from Liverpool manager Arne Slot, his players, and the home crowd at Anfield, referee Anthony Taylor stood by his decision and instead awarded Bournemouth a free-kick for a separate foul.
Shortly after, the Premier League’s Match Centre released a statement clarifying why Taylor’s ruling was allowed to stand.
“The referee’s call of no red card to Senesi was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the action deemed not to be a clear handball offence nor denial of a goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO), due to the distance from goal,” the Premier League said.
But speaking on talkSPORT, one-time England international Ashton believed Senesi got away with one.
“Well I think there was panic that sent in for Senesi,” Ashton said.
“He’s under pressure from Ekitike. He does try and get a little claw to it. He just throws it out and I think it just glances his fingertips.
“That could be enough. That’s all it could take, the fingertips, to take it away from Ekitike. I think it does.
“He has absolutely got away with that because Ekitike is probably through on goal.”
Ashton doubled down on his stance and was adamant Bournemouth should have gone down to ten men.
“I’m sorry, but that feels so much like it’s the first game of the season and we don’t want to ruin it,” Ashton said.
“We don’t want a man sent off so early in the first game of the season and therefore we haven’t made the right decision.
“Senesi takes a swipe at the ball in his panic and the fingertips takes enough of a touch to take it away from Ekitike. He would have been through on goal.
“It’s a red card and they’ve just not made the decision that they should have.”
Despite Marcos Senesi’s earlier intervention, Hugo Ekitike couldn’t be kept off the scoresheet for long.
In the 37th minute, the French striker opened the 2025/26 Premier League season with a brilliant goal, slipping the ball between Senesi’s legs and finding himself face-to-face with Bournemouth keeper Djordje Petrovic. Ekitike calmly sent Petrovic the wrong way before finishing with composure.
After scoring, Ekitike raised his fingers to form the number ’20’—a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota, who tragically lost his life in a car accident alongside his brother Andre Silva in July.
Liverpool extended their lead early in the second half when Cody Gakpo struck just four minutes after the restart.
However, their two-goal advantage quickly vanished as Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo netted twice in a 12-minute burst, turning the tide of the match.
Semenyo’s brace carried deeper meaning, coming after he was subjected to a disgusting racial slur from a Liverpool fan earlier in the game—a moment that was swiftly reported to referee Anthony Taylor.
But the home crowd would have the final say. In the 88th minute, substitute Federico Chiesa delivered a stunning volley to restore Liverpool’s lead, and Mohamed Salah sealed the win in stoppage time with a fourth goal.
After the final whistle, Salah was visibly moved as the Anfield faithful sang Jota’s name in a touching tribute.
