Liverpool boss Arne Slot said the superb strike that reduced Darwin Nunez to tears came as a big surprise in Saturday’s 3-0 win against Bournemouth.
Slot’s side were in control of the Premier League clash at Anfield thanks to Luis Diaz’s double midway through the first half.
But it was Nunez who provided the indelible image from Liverpool’s fourth win in the first five league matches of the Slot era.
This is actually a ridiculous goal you know, Konaté’s pass, Núñez header, Salah’s first time pass and then that outrageous finish.
— 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒄𝒐🧣 (@WilcoFtbl) September 21, 2024
Topped off with a celebration of quite some relief.
Exciting football, we’re playing.
pic.twitter.com/JDRMaS3X8r
The Uruguay striker, making his first start since April, produced a long-awaited reminder of his talent with a brilliant curling effort that beat Kepa Arrizabalaga and went in off the far post.
It was such a bolt from the blue that even Slot was not expecting the audacious effort, especially with Mohamed Salah and Diaz in good positions for a pass before Nunez took aim.
“My first instinct was ‘Why does he shoot?’ He made the ball free and the defender was on the ground but a fraction of a second later the ball goes in off the post,” he said.
“Maybe he is a better player than I was in the past!”
Nunez looked emotional, appearing to wipe tears from his eyes with his shirt, after scoring his first club goal in 15 appearances.
Most of those came as a substitute after Slot’s predecessor Jurgen Klopp appeared to lose patience with his struggles towards the end of last season.
Slot challenged Nunez to show greater consistency to ensure he can offer more to the team.
“I think with consistency you get by two things: work rate and team performance,” he said.
“If the team performance is not so good it is harder for the individual to be consistent as well.
“We have to work on the training ground and that is what we try to do every day and he showed today a good game.
“Maybe he can show it again on Wednesday (in the League Cup against West Ham) but we have to see.”
Liverpool sit top of the Premier League thanks to a comfortable victory that erased the bitter taste from last weekend’s surprise home defeat against Nottingham Forest.
The Reds will have only a short stay in pole position, with Manchester City or Arsenal set to go above them after Sunday’s clash between the title rivals at the Etihad Stadium.
World Cup News
-
FIFA World Cup
/ 3 weeks agoLenovo become FIFA’s World Cup ‘technology partner’
Chinese technology company Lenovo have signed a sponsorship deal with FIFA that covers the...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 2 months agoVinicius says Spain should lose 2030 World Cup unless racism declines
Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior has called for Spain to be stripped of its 2030...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 3 months agoRights groups demand release of jailed Qatar World Cup ex-staffer
Human rights groups on Wednesday called for the release of Abdullah Ibhais, a former...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 4 months agoNew Jersey governor says 2026 World Cup will be ‘incredibly safe’
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Sunday promised the 2026 World Cup will be...
By AFP
2 Comments