Liverpool got back on the Premier League winning trail by sweeping aside Bournemouth 3-0 with Luis Diaz at the double.
Match Report
Nottingham Forest stunned Anfield last weekend to end Arne Slot's perfect start but Liverpool were in ruthless mood against the Cherries, racing into a 3-0 lead at half-time.
Diaz took advantage of Kepa Arrizabalaga charging off his line into no man's land to gift Slot's team the lead before the Colombian fired home a second just two minutes later.
Darwin Nunez marked his first start of the season with a beautiful curling effort into the far corner as Liverpool threatened to run riot. That was the end of the scoring though as despite registering 12 shots on target, the home side could not add further gloss to the victory.
It could have been a very different afternoon had Antoine Semenyo's goal after just six minutes not been ruled out for offside by VAR. The Bournemouth forward skipped behind the Liverpool backline but Stockley Park stepped in to show he had strayed ahead of the play.
After that wobbly start, Liverpool found their stride and moved top of the Premier League for the time being.
Analysis: Electric Diaz adding goals to his repertoire
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
"Diaz has five goals to his name already this season. It took him until November last season to reach that milestone which suggests Slot, who has a reputation for improving attacking players, is having an impact on the uptick of Diaz's output in front of goal. He's working at a rate of a goal every 72 minutes - not quite Erling Haaland's levels of one every 39 minutes, but it's still a phenomenal early-season purple patch.
"Both his goals were all about energy. Diaz nipped in to control a direct ball on his thigh, rounded Kepa and fired past the covering Julian Araujo on the line. The second was equally as clinical, Mohamed Salah laying off a quick pass to Trent Alexander-Arnold who was given free rein to carry forward, delaying his pass to Diaz who shifted it onto his left foot before firing home.
"He is electric when in this mood."
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
1' Yellow card! Ryan Christie after 10 seconds
4' NO GOAL FOR BOURNEMOUTH, OFFSIDE!
8' CLOSE! Kepa denies Luis Díaz’s effort
21' DIAZ WITH A HUGE CHANCE BUT NO GOAL!
27' LUIS DIAZ HAS OPENED THE SCORE !!
29' LUIS DIAZ SCORES A BRACE WITHIN 2 MINUTES !! Liverpool 2-0 Bournemouth
37' DARWIN NUNEZ TAKE A BOW SON !!! Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth
54' Handball overlooked by ref
69' Chiesa first appearance
71' Powerful shot from Darwin Núñez
78' CHIESA HITS THE POST
85' Highlight from Liverpool vs Bournemouth
88' Highlight from Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Line-ups
Liverpool XI: Salah, Van Dijk, Robertson, Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, Gravenberch
Subs: Joe Gomez, Tsimikas, Jota, Cody Gakpo, Chiesa, Curtis Jones, Vitezslav Jaros, Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley
Bournemouth XI: Kepa, Ryan Christie, Lewis Cook, Marcus Tavernier, Kluivert, Evanilson, Antoine Semenyo, Julián Araujo, Ilya Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen
Subs: Smith, E.Ünal, Brooks, Travers, Marcos Senesi, Luis Sinisterra, James Hill, Alex Scott, Dango Ouattara