HIGH NUNE
Liverpool 3 Bournemouth 0: Diaz and Darwin Nunez on target as Slot’s men get over Forest shock with comfortable win
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LIFE WAS just a bunch of Cherries for Arne Slot once more as his side climbed to the top of the table.
In the space of a week that shock 1–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest has become nothing but a bad memory for the Dutchman.
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First there was the 3–1 Champions League victory over AC Milan in the San Siro that lifted shattered spirits – including maybe his own.
That was followed by the 11–minute, three goal Liverpool blitz that turned this clash into a cruise with Darwin Nunez collecting the pick of the bunch.
Things had been going near-perfectly before that Forest loss after three opening Prem wins for Jurgen Klopp’s successor.
Then came the Forest reality check and there were times against Andoni Iraola’s bright attackers that they looked edgy and uncomfortable.
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Indeed had Antoine Semenyo not been a foot offside in the fourth minute with his strike ruled out by VAR there might have been different mood music around Anfield.
And wantaway No 2 Caoimhin Kelleher, replacing hamstring victim Alisson, had to look lively at times.
But still, they swallowed up their opportunities like a Slot machine with Luis Diaz bagging a double.
Liverpool won’t remain at the summit beyond tomorrow's showdown between Manchester City and Arsenal.
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But Slot will swallow that knowing progress on his redevelopment of the side, while still a work in progress, is very much underway with only one Prem goal conceded now in five games.
And from Nunez, the diva front man who drove Klopp and the Kop mad at times in the two seasons following his £64m arrival from Benfica, signs that he might finally make himself worth that huge fee.
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True enough, by the time he scored in the 37th minute, Liverpool were already two ahead with the Bournemouth balloon deflating fast.
Even so his first goal in 15 games stretching back to last season and a series of frustrated strops – he didn’t even applaud Klopp in his last – day farewell – indicated proper belief in his abilities.
The Uruguayan played a delightful one-two with Mo Salah before motoring down the right flank.
With nobody close to him he stopped, stepped into the right-hand corner of the box and delivered a stunning right footer beyond goalkeeper Kepa.
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Slot surprised quite a few by naming him in the starting line – up in place of Diogo Jota.
Yet the new manager did go into the game insisting that Nunez was learning fast under him, confident that the old misses will more and more become hits.
Why the big man, looking a lot happier than he has done in months, even got a huge ovation when he was replaced in the 72nd minute by new £10m winger Federico Chiesa.
Iraola had already been booked – meaning a touchline ban for his side’s next clash with Southampton, before Diaz claimed his first in the 26th minute.
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Ibrahima Konate powered out from the back and found the Colombian 30 yards out.
Kepa took a walk on the wild side and got stranded outside his area, leaving Diaz to utilise his flashing feet with a dart that left him for dead and Ronald Araujo had no chance as he tried to cover the blunder.
Liverpool went direct again, Trent Alexander–Arnold this time driving forward through acres of opposition space.
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His pass to the far edge of the box was high precision as was Diaz’s second finish, cutting to his right before firing low into the corner.
At the point it was job done for Slot, although Mo Salah might have collected a brace himself while Chiesa so nearly crowned his Anfield debut in style only for his shot to hit woodwork.
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