Bournemouth manager raves about three Liverpool players who are’very, very dangerous’
Since taking over for Jurgen Klopp, the former Feyenoord manager has won five of his six games. 13 goals scored and just two surrendered.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool’s recent victories over AC Milan and AFC Bournemouth have allayed concerns that his recent loss to Nottingham Forest was a sign of a downward spiral.
Liverpool shone at the San Siro in their midweek Champions League debut.
Despite Christian Pulisic’s third-minute opening, the six-time European winners sprang into life. Milan manager Paulo Fonseca praised Mo Salah for his better performance.
Salah was unable to score in Italy, despite his best efforts. The Egyptian King struck the bar twice. He was also absent from the scoresheet when Bournemouth came at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Salah would assist Darwin Nunez’s powerful strike, though. Luis Diaz maintained his goal-a-game record with a quick first-half brace, thanks to a standout performance from Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Andoni Iraola hails Liverpool trio Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz
And Cherries boss Andoni Iraola was gracious in defeat, highlighting the formidable strength of a Liverpool frontline who started without either Cody Gakpo or Diogo Jota but still hit the net three times in the first 37 minutes.
“They haven’t changed the identity of the team. They are very, very dangerous,” Iraola said during his post-match press conference.
“They have a lot of speed, especially up front. Especially Darwin, Luis Diaz, Salah, you always have the threat in behind because they have this speed and these different structures to play more positional.
“They lost the game against Forest but they are doing very well.”
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With 19 shots on goal each, and Bournemouth producing an XG of over one, the game was perhaps a little more balanced than the lopsided result portrays.
Iraola, on the other hand, was careful not to make this seem like a bad luck story. Yes, Bournemouth had their opportunities. However, as Liverpool exploded out of the blocks, the three points could only go one way.
“I understand the stats were quite level, but they were better than it mattered,” explains the former Athletic Bilbao defender. “When the game is on the line, they outperformed us. When given the opportunity, they made the difference.
“You look at the numbers and see [almost] 20 shots and seven corners. We had momentum, but it was less valuable. At 3-0, they were still pressing.
Arne Slot is pleased, but wants more ‘consistency’ from Nunez.
With 10 goals and 18 ‘great opportunities’, Liverpool remains one of the division’s most inventive and ruthless sides.
While it will be difficult for Slot to emulate Klopp’s stunning accomplishments on the red side of Stanley Park, he has seen a transitional period at Anfield made much simpler by the tremendous attacking potential he has inherited.
Slot smiled at his post-match press conference, pleased to see Diaz and his much-maligned striker get on the scoresheet after Darwin Nunez was criticized by Alan Shearer for his profligate performance against Forest.
“[Diaz’s] finishes in both scenarios were quite good.
“Of course, I play [Nunez] because I appreciate how he scores goals. I play winger because I enjoy assisting and scoring goals. Because scoring goals is essential for winning a game.
“I believe that consistency is achieved through two factors: work rate and team performance.” If the team’s performance is inconsistent, it is extremely difficult for one individual to remain consistent. To achieve this consistency, we just need to develop our habits on the practice field and in games on a daily basis.
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