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.
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