Darwin Nunez scored a typically brilliant goal on his first start since April with fellow South American Luis Diaz grabbing the other two in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield.
The Cherries rank among Nunez’s favourite opponents, having now scored four in his last three matches, and while his contribution was characteristically erratic there is no doubting his eye for the spectacular.
Flicking on a kick from Caoimhin Kelleher, in for injured goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Nunez raced onto Mohamed Salah’s return pass and even with the Egyptian and Diaz for company he chose to go it alone, checking back onto his left foot to curl a shot from the angle of the penalty area around Kepa Arrizabalaga and in off the far post.
While Nunez still has plenty to do to convince head coach Arne Slot he warrants a regular start, the striker at least took his opportunity.
3 goals. 3 points. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9J0PumHcL4
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 21, 2024
Slot was appointed partly for his reputation for improving players and has already shown that with noticeable upticks in the performances of Diaz – who took until November last season to reach his current tally of five – and midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
However, the Dutchman will earn the greatest kudos if he can harness the raw talent and energy of the man who has so far failed to live up to his potential club-record £85million transfer.
Goal returns of 15 and 18 in his two previous seasons were on the low side for a club fighting on four fronts and if he is to elevate himself to the next level, Nunez needs more consistency.
That is something which appears to have been found by Diaz, whose two goals in as many first-half minutes paved the way for victory to be fittingly secured by Nunez’s strike.
An offside VAR decision rescued the hosts from Antoine Semenyo repeating his feat here last season by scoring inside four minutes and that left Liverpool slightly rattled having lost to Nottingham Forest last weekend.
But they gradually found their stride, although the opener came not from Slot’s newly-installed passing game but from good, old-fashioned route-one football.
Ibrahima Konate’s 26th-minute diagonal ball hung long enough in the air to catch Arrizabalaga in two minds and by the time he made his decision Diaz had nipped in, controlled it on his thigh and fired past the covering Julian Araujo on the line.
The second was equally as clinical, Salah laying off a quick pass to Trent Alexander-Arnold who was given free rein to carry forward, delaying his pass to Diaz who shifted it onto his left foot before firing home.
But the best was yet to come with Nunez’s show of individual brilliance, the Uruguayan appearing to wipe tears from his eyes with his shirt after scoring his first club goal in 15 appearances, most as a substitute after previous boss Jurgen Klopp appeared to finally lose patience with him.
Salah, meanwhile, had one of those days with two weak attempts saved by Arrizabalaga, the second from a flowing move involving Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Gravenberch.
Even after the break, with the game already won, he still could not find a way through despite nicking the ball off Arrizabalaga as another poor connection was stopped on the line by Milos Kerkez.
Bournemouth offered little in reply, with their best chance coming midway through the first half when Kelleher’s kick was charged down by Evanilson only for the goalkeeper to redeem himself with a good save from Semenyo.
Nunez departed to a standing ovation as summer signing Federico Chiesa was given an Anfield debut at centre forward to underline the competition up front with Diogo Jota currently Slot’s number-one pick.
Late on Kelleher denied substitute Luis Sinisterra, who then hit the crossbar with a header, but by then Liverpool were managing the game with a midweek Carabao Cup fixture to come at home to West Ham.
[(SK Slovan Bratislava) Strength]: 1. Coming into the UEFA Europa League Play-off round, SK Slovan Bratislava hope to grab the advantage of advancing in this home game, with full motivation.2. SK Slovan Bratislava defeated MFK Skalica 1-0 at home in the last Slovak Super Liga game. They kept unbeaten in the first 3 league games with 2 wins and 1 draw.3. SK Slovan Bratislava scored in 6 of the last...
[(SC Preussen Munster) Strength]: 1. SC Preussen Munster will play at home in this match. The team must defend their home honor and their fighting spirit is beyond doubt.[(SC Preussen Munster) Weakness]: 1. SC Preussen Munster suffered a defeat in the midweek DFB-Pokal match, being eliminated 3-5 by Hertha BSC after a grueling battle that went all the way to penalties, which is a blow to their mor...
[(Real Betis) Strength]: 1. Real Betis failed to start with a win in the first La Liga game this season. They are eager to win and boost their morale.2. Real Betis' new signing midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme contributed an assist in the first league game, showing decent performances.3. Real Betis scored in each of the recent 6 games, boasting stable offense.4. Real Betis received 10 wins, 7 draws, an...
[(Palmeiras) Strength]: 1. In the first leg, Palmeiras secured a resounding 4-0 away victory over Universitario de Deportes, gaining a huge advantage in the race for advancing. Hosting this game at their home ground, Palmeiras will naturally go all out to avoid being reversed by the opponents, ensuring a smooth advance to the next round and continuing their charge towards the Copa Libertadores tro...
[(River Plate) Strength]: 1. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. Returning to their home ground for this game, River Plate are united in their determination to beat Club Libertad and advance to the quarter-finals, with a strong desire to win.2. Red-hot River Plate kept unbeaten in the last 7 games with 4 wins and 3 draws. They beat Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba...
[(NK Rijeka) Strength]: 1. NK Rijeka, powerhouses in Croatia, have a strong pursuit of honors. After dropping down from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, the team are eager to prove themselves in the UEFA Europa League, aiming to enhance their stature in European football and bring glory to both the club and their supporters.[(NK Rijeka) Weakness]: 1. NK Rijeka defender Mile Skoric will miss t...
[(KFUM-Kameratene Oslo) Strength]: 1. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo have achieved 7 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses in the league so far this season, scoring 29 goals and conceding 20 in 18 league games, and currently rank 7th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game with great desire to win.2. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo's major forward Johannes Nunez has performed steadily in the team's front...
[(Vaasan Palloseura) Strength]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura have been in poor recent form. In this home match, they are motivated to rebound.[(Vaasan Palloseura) Weakness]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura drew 0-0 with HJK Helsinki on the road in the last game. They are on a 1-game winless run.2. Vaasan Palloseura were winless in 7 consecutive home games, failing to show their home advantage.3. Vaasan Palloseura co...
[(West Ham United F.C.) Neutral]: 1. West Ham United F.C. recently expressed their desire to sign their upcoming opponents Chelsea's player Andrey Santos, but their offer was rejected. Chelsea informed West Ham that they have no intention of selling the player.2. West Ham United F.C. scored 46 goals in 38 league games last season, averaging over 1 goal per game. However, their offense is still con...
[(Aberdeen F.C.) Strength]: 1. If Aberdeen F.C. can advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage, it would mark a historic milestone for the club. This huge honor will undoubtedly greatly boost the team's fighting spirit.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Neutral]: 1. The two sides have never met before, and there are no relevant track record available for reference at present.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Weakness]: 1. Aberde...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 3 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 4 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 5 Alaves vs Levante Prediction for today 17 August 2025 - Football
- 6 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 7 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 8 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 9 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 10 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer