Liverpool vs Bournemouth Delayed After Antoine Semenyo Incident – Here’s What Occurred

Liverpool vs Bournemouth Premier League Opener Halted After Alleged Racist Abuse Towards Semenyo

The Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth was temporarily stopped midway through the first half following reports that Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo had been subjected to racist abuse from the crowd. The Friday night fixture had started energetically, with both sides creating chances. Liverpool were particularly frustrated after Marcos Senesi avoided a red card for a handball during Hugo Ekitike’s run on goal.

Ekitike eventually opened the scoring for Liverpool on his Premier League debut, but his goal came shortly after the game was paused. The Premier League Match Centre later confirmed the stoppage was due to racist abuse directed at Semenyo.

Drury Highlights the Incident on Commentary

Referee Anthony Taylor halted play just before the 30-minute mark and approached both managers, Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola, for a discussion. During this break, players took a water break while security became involved, signaling an issue in the stands.

Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury confirmed that the interruption was due to an alleged racist remark made toward Semenyo.

“The Premier League match centre informed me that Antoine Semenyo was the target of a racist comment from someone in the crowd,” Drury reported.

It was also noted that Semenyo himself alerted the referee to the abuse but chose to continue playing after the game resumed shortly after.

As of now, the Premier League has not released an official statement on the matter.

At halftime, pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher addressed the situation. Neville condemned the incident, saying it tainted what should have been a celebratory opening night and overshadowed the tribute to Diogo Jota.

“It ruins what should have been a great evening. That young man had to go to the referee and report racial abuse,” said Neville. “It’s disgusting, and unfortunately, it’s something that continues to happen.”

Carragher added, “You could see the confusion among the players and staff. Despite all the global efforts to eliminate racism, it’s disturbing to witness something like this still occurring.”