As the season comes to an end, Arne Slot will be hoping to laugh at last week’s defeat to Nottingham Forest. Since that woeful performance, Liverpool have made light work of Milan in the Champions League and thrashed Bournemouth – a perfect response to the first setback of the Dutchman’s tenure.

While Forest troubled Liverpool with a disciplined performance, Bournemouth allowed Ryan Gravenberch and his midfield colleagues to dictate the game and then took the lead with a goal that decided the game.

Luis Díaz took personal responsibility for most of the damage with two goals and Darwin Núñez, eager to prove a point, scored a third goal, banishing memories of the events of seven days ago.

“After the big win against Milan, I was curious to see how we would react today,” said Slot. “And the reaction was much, much better than against Nottingham Forest.”

Liverpool probably thought they were in for another difficult match after an eventful first four minutes in which Ryan Christie was booked for a foul on Díaz 20 seconds after kick-off and Antoine Semenyo had a goal disallowed. The assistant referee saw no problem with the goal but the video referee silenced the fans who had made the 840km round trip from the south coast by awarding a clear offside at the far post after good work by Justin Kluivert. Most annoying for Bournemouth was that Semenyo was not necessarily required to be up front. Liverpool made the most of the reprieve.

Kepa Arrizabalaga arrived at Bournemouth on loan from Chelsea in the transfer window, desperate to prove why he is the most expensive goalkeeper in football history. He denied two shots from Díaz with some aesthetically pleasing saves and quickly denied a Mohamed Salah chance. All that was forgotten when Ibrahima Konaté hit a long ball forward; Arrizabalaga thought he could catch it outside the box, but he failed as Díaz rounded him and fired into an empty net. In front of goal, Díaz was Liverpool’s most dangerous player with his usual mix of brute force and artistry, and he earned the luck as his reward.

The mistake was still in Arrizabalaga’s mind when Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold linked up on the halfway line. The full-back sprinted 30 yards and played a pass to Díaz, who slotted the ball under the Bournemouth goalkeeper to score Liverpool’s second goal in less than three minutes. If anyone had feared a repeat of the defeat to Forest, their fears were allayed.

All of Bournemouth’s problems began in South America when Núñez followed Díaz’s lead and played a one-two with Salah before cutting inside down the right wing and firing the ball into the far corner for Liverpool’s third goal in 12 minutes. The Uruguayan was visibly moved as he celebrated in the corner. It was his first start of the season and his first goal in 15 games.

Slot had bet that Núñez would do well this week, and he repaid the faith. “My first instinct was when he shot, I said, ‘Why is he shooting? Why aren’t you dribbling further?'” Slot said. “I saw the ball bounce off the post. I thought to myself, ‘OK, maybe you’re a better soccer player than I used to be.'”

Bournemouth had as many shots as the hosts, but seven fewer on target, and did their best to get back into the game. Liverpool were out of sight, however, allowing Slot to send Federico Chiesa on for his Premier League debut in front of a boisterous Anfield crowd, earning Díaz and Núñez a well-deserved standing ovation, while Caoimhín Kelleher, replacing the injured Alisson, had a relaxed afternoon. Liverpool had their mishap but are back on track, winning four of five league games and conceding just one goal.

Bournemouth, on the other hand, have won just one in eight league games. “The stats were pretty even but I think Liverpool were better when it mattered,” said Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola. “That’s what big teams can do. When it mattered, they finished better. When they had the chances, they made the difference with their finishing.”