Arne Slot addresses Darwin Nunez headache as striker justifies selection vs. Bournemouth
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has addressed the "nice and necessary" embarrassment of options he has at his disposal in forward positions - after Darwin Nunez justified his selection versus Bournemouth.
The Uruguayan had failed to start a game under his new boss so far this season, with his involvement up until now having been from the bench. Following on from four goalless cameo appearances this term, Slot's decision to hand the 25-year-old a starting berth against the Cherries came as a surprise move.
Diogo Jota had been preferred in the center-forward role up until now but Portuguese striker was instead named among the substitutes for the visit of Bournemouth to Anfield. In his place, Nunez showed what he can offer with an impressive performance before he was replaced in the 72nd minute.
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The forward struck in the 37th minute, notching the Reds' third goal in a first-half demolition job with an exquisite finish from the edge of the box. Following a pacey run down the right-hand flank, the ex-Benfica man cut inside onto his left foot before placing the ball into the bottom corner.
He formed part of a three-pronged attack which proved difficult for the Cherries to contain, with Luis Diaz also on hand with a quick-fire double before the interval. Now, head coach Slot has reacted to the performance of his players as he admitted that his forward stars have given him a selection headache on the strength of their displays.
Speaking to BeIn Sports he said: "It's nice but it's also neccessary and normal for a club of our standards. Other clubs we are in competition with have the same so it's very nice to see if you look, for example, at [Diaz], who scored twice today - and then on Tuesday, Cody Gakpo, who was playing his game.
"It's very good, even if they don't play that the next time they are all over it again, he said, before assessing the performance of his attacking players in and out of possession, as he added: "They were aggressive without the ball and they showed quality with the ball."
Meanwhile, Kop stalwart Andy Robertson also spoke positively after the team bounced back following a loss against Nottingham Forest last weekend to earn a fourth win of the new league campaign. Addressing the team's showing, he asserted that the victory out in Italy in midweek provided a springboard for this latest result.
He said to BBC Radio 5 Live: "Obviously last week it was disappointing, but we managed to bounce back Tuesday [against AC Milan] - it was about getting back on track in the league.
As for the team's forward options, he the Scotsman added: "Darwin [Nunez] has had to be patient. He has worked hard in training, trying to get better like we all have. He has waited for his chance and today he was excellent. Luis [Diaz] has started the season really well, delighted for those two. He [Nunez] was waiting for his chance and he took it today."