Luis Diaz scored twice in two first-half minutes as Liverpool returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth at Anfield in the Premier League.
After a disappointing 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest last weekend, Arne Slot’s side bounced back in style. Antoine Semenyo thought he had given Bournemouth an early lead, but his goal was disallowed by the video assistant referee (VAR) for offside.
Liverpool responded fiercely, with Diaz, Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Nunez all coming close before Diaz finally opened the scoring. The Colombian doubled Liverpool’s lead moments later with a calm finish after receiving Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass.
Nunez added the third with a spectacular curling shot, marking his first Premier League goal since April. Summer signing Federico Chiesa made his Premier League debut and came close to scoring, hitting the woodwork, though it was ruled offside.
Bournemouth’s attempts to fight back were hindered by Liverpool’s control, and despite late pressure, Andoni Iraola’s side fell to their second consecutive league defeat. The victory lifted Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table ahead of Sunday’s clash between Manchester City and Arsenal.
Dominant First Half for Liverpool
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz opened the scoring in the 26th minute after a dominant start. Diaz, Salah, and Nunez tested Bournemouth’s on-loan goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga throughout the first half, but it was Diaz who capitalized on a defensive mistake to slot home the opener. Diaz doubled Liverpool’s advantage soon after with another clinical finish.
Nunez made it 3-0 with a powerful curling shot, reminding fans of Liverpool’s 9-0 demolition of Bournemouth in August 2022. The second half was less eventful, but Liverpool maintained control, with Chiesa showing promising signs in his debut.
Bournemouth Struggles to Keep Up
Bournemouth struggled defensively, allowing Liverpool’s quick attack to exploit gaps and giving away possession inside their own half. Despite registering 19 shots for the second game in a row, Bournemouth could not find the back of the net, with Caoimhin Kelleher making key saves, particularly denying Sinisterra late in the game.
To add to their woes, manager Andoni Iraola will miss their next match against Southampton after being shown a yellow card for dissent in the first half.
