Liverpool responded emphatically to questions raised after their defeat to Nottingham Forest, following up their victory over AC Milan in the Champions League with a 3-0 win over AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

The Reds were saved by an offside flag early on after Antoine Semenyo put the ball into the net in the fourth minute, but two goals from Luis Díaz in three minutes put them 2-0 up before half-time.

Darwin Núñez then increased the score again with a wonderful strike in the 37th minute, putting Liverpool on the way to their fourth win in five league games under Arne Slot.

Positive

Once Liverpool took control, they didn’t let Bournemouth get back into the game – and this was particularly evident in midfield at times. There were plenty of reasons to be excited in attack and it was also a good sign for the team’s mentality that they scored three goals in such a short space of time in the first half. The fact that they didn’t concede will also add to their satisfaction.

Negatives

The Reds got off to a slow start, with Bournemouth taking control of the game and putting the ball in the net before the goal was disallowed. There were some poor passes from Liverpool in defence during this period and they didn’t start the second half particularly well either. There were moments where Liverpool were a bit sloppy in defence and played too much in the Bournemouth box – although the 3-0 lead probably played a part in that.

Manager Rating (1-10)

Arne Slott, 8 — Slot’s big decision was to sign Nunez and that decision was justified by a brilliant performance from the Uruguayan international, capped off with a wonderful goal. There are signs that things are going well for the Dutchman and there seems to be a deep understanding of what he wants from his players.

Player ratings (1-10; 10: best. Players substituted after 70 minutes receive no rating)

GK Caoimhin Kelleher, 8 — Coming on for Alisson Becker, his clearance was blocked but he recovered well to stop Semenyo. The goalkeeper dealt well with balls into the box or in front of goal and bravely denied Luis Sinisterra. He also reacted brilliantly to prevent a late goal after the ball rebounded off Trent Alexander-Arnold.

DF Trent Alexander-Arnold, 8 – He cancelled out Marcus Tavernier’s early run, setting the tone for a strong defensive performance in the first half. He was impressive going forward too, particularly with a great run and perfectly timing the pass that set up Diaz’s second goal. Alexander-Arnold played another great ball that forced a yellow card to Dean Huijsen, but he had a few sloppy moments in the second half.

DF Ibrahima Konaté, 7 – The defender played a poor pass to Kelleher which led to a corner, but also sent the ball forward which gave Luiz his first goal and put in a strong performance overall. He received a yellow card for stopping Dango Ouattara’s run.

DF Virgil van Dijk, 8 – He stayed just high enough to keep Semenyo offside on the early goal and was dominant in the air whenever needed, also dealing well with Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass in a potentially tricky situation.

DF Andrew Robertson, 6 – He hit the side netting early on and had some exciting challenges with Ronald Araújo, but had some awkward moments against Semenyo.

MF Ryan Gravenberch, 8 — He couldn’t find the pass to punish Kepa Arrizabalaga’s weak ball but had some brilliant moments after that and carried the ball well. One ambitious shot was blocked but he is growing into the role.

MF Alexis Mac Allister, 8 – The Argentina international played two stunning passes to create chances for Mohamed Salah and produced some brilliant tackles both in defence and further up the pitch, as well as having a last-minute header saved.

MF Dominik Szoboszlai, 6 – He took a high, long shot under pressure from Ryan Christie, but showed his technical quality with a nice strike and runs to initiate counterattacks forward. He also contributed at times with good defensive work.

FW Mohamed Salah, 7 – Salah produced some lovely moves at times, including a brilliant pass to Nunez, and eventually provided an assist for the Uruguayan. But he was not as determined in front of goal as many expected and a shot was cleared off the line by Milos Kerkez.

FW Darwin Nunez, 8 – He took his chance to take the lead with an excellent move in the first half and started to get an increasingly better shot on goal. Although he wasn’t quite as effective in the second half, he always worked hard to help the team.

FW Luis Diaz, 9 – Diaz had already shown plenty of determination with some eye-catching forays and a dangerous shot before calmly scoring his two goals. He always looks threatening and has proven to be a real challenge this season.

Substitutes (players who are substituted after 70 minutes = no score)

Curtis Jones, 6 — Replaced Szoboszlai in the 61st minute and at times worked wonderfully with his teammates. He also seemed calm on the ball in tight situations. He was unable to score his goal due to good defense.

Federico Chiesa, N/R – He came on for Nunez in the 72nd minute to make his Premier League debut and immediately showed his intent with an ambitious long-range shot that was saved.

Cody Gakpo, N/R – Replaced Diaz in the 72nd minute and showed good combination work, laying the ball off nicely for Jones’ chance before his own shot was blocked.