A BOURNE DARWINNER
Nunez goes down a storm with a double and a hand in both Jota goals as ruthless Reds blow Cherries away
PERHAPS this was the day Liverpool’s agent of chaos became a paragon of efficiency.
Darwin Nunez may have earned himself a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most unpredictable players.
But the Uruguayan provided a moment of ruthlessness to set the league leaders on their way, before Diogo Jota’s double ensured a tricky assignment became a stroll in the middle of a south-coast storm.
Nunez, who was involved in both of Jota’s goals, then bookended an outstanding second-half performance with another in added time as Jurgen Klopp’s team extended their lead at the top to five points.
Until Nunez’s 49th-minute opener Liverpool, without Mo Salah, struggled to break down Bournemouth. By the end, however, Klopp (left) was beaming at their most resounding win of the season against a team that had won six and drawn one of its previous eight fixtures.
They may have occupied the top two spots in the form table prior to kick-off but both teams were short of options due to injuries and international duty. That meant a league debutant in either defence – James Hill for the hosts and Conor Bradley for the visitors.
Maybe the absences were to blame for a lack of early cohesion. The opening quarter was marked by loose touches and misjudged passes.
A first shot eventually arrived 19 minutes in as the impressive Alexis Mac Allister fired wide from range.
Nunez followed up with an effort that Neto saved with ease – 20 seconds after accidentally booting the ball at team-mate Curtis Jones (below) – while Luis Diaz made the home goalkeeper work from a similar distance.
Diaz then required treatment after Justin Kluivert planted his studs on the Colombian, with Bournemouth’s winger going unpunished despite Klopp’s protestations.
The home side temporarily moved into a higher gear in the 10 minutes leading up to the interval. Ryan Christie’s 39th
minute attempt woke Alisson from his slumber, and Ibrahima Konate misread a bouncing ball that allowed Kluivert and Christie to try their luck.
Christie and Dominic Solanke, against his former club, went close to latching on to a Luis Sinisterra cross a minute before half-time.
Upon the restart, though, Liverpool found a level that Bournemouth could not match.
Nunez’s first goal began with a Konate cross-field pass that Jones, who would come off late on with a muscle injury, brought down on his chest before finding Jota. The Portugal forward quickly found Nunez, who dispatched clinically past Neto.
Bournemouth’s response was surprisingly tame and, with 70 minutes gone, former Wolves star Jota doubled the lead.
It emanated from Nunez beating Illia Zabarnyi in the air. Substitute Cody Gakpo gathered possession and fed Jota, whose his low drive flew in off the near post.
Jota’s second arrived after Nunez sent in a deep cross from the left that Bradley returned goalwards. Jota scuffed his initial shot but the rebound fell kindly for him and he made no mistake with his second try.
Nunez tagged on the fourth from four yards two minutes into added time when timing his dart forward perfectly to convert Joe Gomez’s superb cross from the right.
In a title race destined to be decided by fine margins, every improvement to the goal difference should not be sniffed at.
Liverpool have now won 14 and drawn six of their 21 Premier League matches this season, their only defeat coming in controversial circumstances at Tottenham in September.