Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth: Superb Darwin Nunez strike and two goals from Luis Diaz help Reds bounce back after shock loss to Nottingham Forest

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 from danger. 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.

‘My first instinct when he went into the area was “why do you shoot!”,’ Arne Slot said, chuckling. ‘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.’

Nobody felt the need to challenge Liverpool’s head coach on his observation. This was Nunez’s first goal for his club since April 4 – it had been 541 minutes and 15 appearances between drinks and its meaning was huge, as Nunez looked closed to tears as he ran to the corner flag.

‘He has to keep working and keep being important when he has the chance,’ said Virgil van Dijk, making clear that one might be nice but this alone won’t be helpful to long-term success. ‘He has a very good ‘opponent’ or ‘rival’ or however you want to call it in Diogo Jota with him.

‘So they have to challenge each other and push each other. That’s the only way we can be successful. The way he responded after his first start of the season is the one we want to see. He has to keep working, like the rest of the team.’

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 a striker (in my system) 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 Antoine 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.

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. Slot had no problem admitting that these visitors were far more creative than those seven days previous.

‘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 contest 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 today they 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.’

He has every right to be. The impoverished way they were beaten seven days earlier had led eyebrows to be raised in some quarters, waiting to see if Liverpool might be like one of those old, worn pieces of clothing that is susceptible to coming away at the seams.

But, Forest apart, there has been much to like of the early days of this reign. Bigger tests await, of that there is no doubt, but when you players such as Nunez who are capable of producing magic, they can be tackled with confidence. It will make for a fascinating watch.