Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth: Nunez and Diaz lead Reds to victory

This scene had been played out many times before: a ball down the right channel, Darwin Nunez in pursuit, a sense of curiosity and apprehension in the stands.

Nunez, the man who cost Liverpool a king’s ransom two summers ago, has got talent to burn but there have been too many occasions when these acts have ended with profligacy or wastefulness. For that reason, there was no hum of expectation, as would be the case if this had been Mo Salah.

But with Liverpool two goals ahead in the 38th minute, Nunez felt emboldened to run at Bournemouth’s creaking defence. Illia Zabarnyi tried to shadow him, forcing him on to his right side away to goal. Surely nothing could happen here? He was nearer the touchline than the goal.

Wrong. Nunez, with enough space to wriggle in, cut inside leaving Zabarnyi off balance. Suddenly he was a move ahead, working out angles like a snooker player intent on a maximum clearance. Then came lift-off. Bang! A left foot rocket fizzed past Kepa Arrizabalaga, hit the post and crashed in.

The noise that accompanied the goal was different, giddily euphoric. Nunez, for all his foibles, is someone The Kop wants to succeed and this was a tantalising glimpse of what he can be when it all comes together – comparisons with his Uruguayan compatriot Luis Suarez are not wide of the mark.

Luis Diaz (centre) scored two goals inside the opening 28 minutes to put the Reds in control

‘My first instinct when he went into the area was “why do you shoot!”,’ Arne Slot said, chuckling at his own conservatism. ‘Then a second later, I looked up and I thought to myself: “maybe you are a better footballer than I ever was!” It was a great goal.’

Nunez has been lacking self-belief, crestfallen that Slot had not started him thus far but unleashed for the first time of the Dutchman’s reign he took a significant step to repairing the damage. The goal, of course, was the highlight but there was so much more to all he did.

Take, for instance, the tracking back into his own half – close to Andy Roberton’s station at left-back – and subsequent tackle in the 30th minute to win a throw in that brought a cheer almost as big as the ones that greeted the two goals Luis Diaz had just plundered.

‘I play as a striker because I like him to score goals,’ Slot explained. ‘If you want to win a game you have to score goals but it also helps if you keep a clean sheet. The first goal we scored, Ibou Konate was involved but the clean sheet we kept is because Darwin was also involved.’

How things might have turned out had Antonie Semenyo not wandered offside in the fifth minute, when converting a cross from Justin Kluivert, is difficult to say but Liverpool needed to play as well as they have done in any home game under Slot to put their visitors away.

Nunez let fly with his trusted left foot after running down the right wing and cutting inside

Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was beaten at full stretch by Nunez’s fine strike

Diaz has now scored five goals in his last four Premier League appearances for Liverpool

A week on from the mundanity of the defeat to Nottingham Forest, who had stifled the play and the atmosphere with a low block, this was an attractive contest, played at a relentless pace and Bournemouth again showed they will win plenty of matches in the months ahead.

‘The stats were quite level but they were better than it mattered,’ conceded Andoni Iraola. ‘When the game was on the line, they were much better than us. When they had the chances they made the difference. Look at the stats. It wasn’t a game for 3-0 but they were more clinical than us.’

And how. The face of the game changed thanks to a 12-minute blitzkrieg, with the Colombian firecracker Diaz bursting to life. His opening goal owed plenty to Kepa Arrizabalaga charging preposterously out of his area but that should not detract from Diaz’s control and dexterity.

He took Konate’s 60-yard ball down on his thigh, moved away from challenges then rolled the ball into the Anfield Road end net with his right foot. A minute later, the advantage had been doubled, Diaz finishing with his left after superb work from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Then came the headline act, Nunez thrilling everyone with his ambition. From there, Liverpool were never going to lose and they now sit top of the league. It has been an encouraging start for Slot, one in which solid foundations are being laid.

‘If you want to win more than only a few games it is mentality,’ said Slot. ‘After the Manchester United game, a statement win, to lose against Nottingham Forest, it’s not what you want. After the AC Milan win on Tuesday, a statement win, I wanted to see how we reacted. And I was pleased.’

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has now seen his side take 12 points from his first five league games

Slot hugged Diaz after substituting the two-goal hero off in the 72nd minute on Saturday

Nunez was also subbed off after 72 minutes as fans at Anfield gave him a standing ovation