Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo thanked his teammates, Liverpool, match officials and the "entire football family" for their support after the Ghana international reported racist abuse during Friday's Premier League season opener at Anfield.

Semenyo was targeted by a man in the crowd during the first half, with referee Anthony Taylor stopping play to address the incident. Taylor spoke to both managers and captains before play resumed.

Liverpool talisman Mo Salah and fellow forward Federico Chiesa struck late goals as the Premier League champions began the defense of their title by beating Bournemouth 4-2 in a thriller on the opening night of the season at Anfield on Friday.

Liverpool vs Bournemouth highlights

On a bittersweet evening charged with emotion after the July death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, newcomer Hugo Ekitike bagged a goal on his league debut to put the hosts ahead after 37 minutes and Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th.

Crystal Palace said on Tuesday they are seeking legal advice on possible next steps after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the club's appeal against UEFA's decision to demote them from the Europa League to the Conference League.

European soccer's governing body made the decision over Palace's multi-club ownership rule breach because at the time of assessment on March 1 the John Textor-founded Eagle Football Group were majority owners of fellow Europa League side Olympique Lyonnais and also held shares in Palace.

LONDON — Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey appeared in a London court on Tuesday, charged with raping two women while he was a player for the English Premier League soccer club.

Partey, a Ghana international, is accused of five counts of rape relating to two women, plus a charge of sexual assault against a third woman, between April 2021 and June 2022.

The 32-year-old, who British media have reported is close to joining Spanish side Villarreal on a free transfer, sat in the dock dressed in black during the brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Los Angeles FC are pursuing Tottenham Hotspur star forward Heung-Min Son, multiple outlets are reporting.

Spurs are considering an offer of $20.3 million from the MLS club, according to The Sun, based in the United Kingdom.

Son to LAFC rumors

LAFC have approached Heung-min Son over potential transfer for this summer as their new superstar.

In a spectacle both on and off the pitch, U.S. President Donald Trump made an interesting appearance at the Club World Cup final held at MetLife Stadium, where Chelsea cruised to a convincing 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.