Liverpool boss Arne Slot praised the response of his forwards to squad rotation following a 3-0 win over Bournemouth, with left-back Andy Robertson singling out Darwin Núñez for special praise.
Slot’s side dominated the match, securing a comfortable lead by half-time.
Luis Díaz netted twice in quick succession, followed by a superbly curled effort from Núñez to make it 3-0.
The second half remained goalless, but the job was already done.
Late in the game, summer signing Federico Chiesa made his Premier League debut from the bench, adding to an already successful afternoon.
The victory brings Liverpool level on points with league leaders Manchester City, who face Arsenal on Sunday.
It also allowed the Reds to move on from their disappointing defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend.
While Díaz has been in electric form, starting the season strongly under Slot, Núñez had been waiting for his first goal of the campaign.
For Núñez, it marked his first goal in over five months at club level, following a difficult end to last season.
He came close to a brace, but a last-ditch clearance denied him.
Robertson, however, was quick to highlight Núñez’s overall contribution to the team, praising not just the goal, but his all-round performance.
“Really happy,” the Scot told 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.
“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.”
“Today was a good game for us, although Bournemouth were in the game as well,” Arne Slot told beIN Sports.
“It sounds a bit weird with a 3-0 victory but they were joining the game.
When asked about his team’s depth in attack, he added “It’s nice but it’s also necessary and it’s also normal for a club of our standards. Other clubs that we are in competition with have the same…
“It’s very good that even if they don’t play then the next time they are all over it again.
“They were aggressive without the ball and they showed quality with the ball.”
Asked specifically about Nunez by Match of the Day, he said: “We hope we are adding goals [to his game] because that is what you need from a striker but this work rate was really good.
“We have a lot of good players, a lot of competition, and as long as they keep performing it is a very good thing for me.”
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