'Why does he shoot?' – but stunning strike shows Nunez quality

Liverpool caput coach Arne Slot says he did not want Darwin Nunez to sprout earlier nan Uruguayan struck a sensational extremity successful nan 3-0 triumph complete Bournemouth connected Saturday.

Nunez, making his first commencement nether nan Dutchman, collected nan shot wide connected nan right, trim connected to his near ft and sent a magnificent, curling thrust into nan acold area pinch 8 minutes of nan first half remaining.

The striker's stunning effort completed nan scoring astatine Anfield aft a quickfire Luis Diaz double had fixed Liverpool a 2-0 lead.

Slot said: "My first small heart erstwhile he changeable was, 'why does he shoot?'. I would person said, 'why don't you support connected dribbling?'. He made nan shot free and I deliberation nan defender was connected nan ground.

"But past it was a fraction of a 2nd later erstwhile I saw nan shot spell successful disconnected nan post. Then I was like, 'OK, possibly you are a amended shot subordinate than I was successful nan past'."

Nunez, whose finishing has travel nether scrutiny during his clip astatine nan club, has now scored 21 times for Liverpool successful nan Premier League.

Saturday's effort was his first for nan nine successful 5 months and 17 days, since a 3-1 triumph complete Sheffield United past season.

It was not conscionable his extremity against Bournemouth that caught his manager's eye, though. Nunez carried retired his protect duties diligently, registering much tackles than immoderate different subordinate connected nan transportation isolated from team-mate Alexis Mac Allister.

"Of course, I play a striker because I for illustration him to people goals – but it besides helps if you support a cleanable sheet," added Slot, whose broadside apical nan array connected extremity quality from Manchester City and Aston Villa. "[In] keeping a cleanable sheet, Darwin was besides involved."

Nunez had played conscionable 74 minutes nether Slot earlier Saturday, but his good all-round show will boost his chances of featuring much prominently successful nan coming weeks, arsenic Liverpool juggle Premier League, Carabao Cup and Champions League commitments.

Liverpool invited West Ham to Anfield successful nan Carabao Cup 3rd information connected Wednesday, earlier travelling to Wolves successful their adjacent convention crippled connected Saturday.

They besides return to Champions League action pinch a location lucifer against Bologna connected Wednesday 2 October.

"I deliberation you get consistency by 2 things," Slot replied erstwhile asked really nan 25-year-old tin found himself arsenic a much regular starter. "You get it by work-rate and you get it by squad performance.

"If nan squad capacity is not consistent, it's truthful difficult for an individual to beryllium accordant arsenic well. We person to create our habits time by time connected nan training ground.

"[Nunez] showed a bully crippled today. Maybe he tin show it again connected Wednesday."