Liverpool's six forwards are flexing their muscles – Arne Slot is spoilt for choice

Anything you can do (I can do better).

The title of a song composed by Irving Berlin for the 1946 Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun may not be providing inspiration for Arne Slot’s six senior attackers, but it is quickly becoming the motto for Liverpool’s forward line.

Against Bournemouth, in Liverpool’s last Premier League fixture, Luis Diaz scored twice and and Darwin Nunez once in the 3-0 win. Watching from the bench was Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo. They were in the starting line-up for Liverpool’s 5-1 Carabao Cup third round victory over West Ham United, and both responded by scoring twice themselves.

Diaz’s goals last weekend were a response of their own following Gakpo’s impressive performance against AC Milan. Nunez, meanwhile, was looking to impress in his first start of the season after Jota had been first choice to begin the campaign.

Summer signing Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah even traded blows during the same match against Julen Lopetegui’s side. The Italy international marked his full debut with an assist, setting up Jota’s first via an acrobatic shot which turned into a cross. Salah replaced him and scored too.

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Liverpool’s forward line flexed their muscles with five of the six contributing a goal or an assist. Nunez combined with Gakpo via a neat one-two in the area which led to the Dutch winger’s first goal.

The only one who did not add to their goal contribution tally was Diaz. The Colombia international had the luxury of putting his feet up and enjoying the action from the bench as the Carabao Cup holders sealed a place in the fourth round.

It is exactly the type of headache that Slot would have wanted when he took over from Jurgen Klopp.

Rather than sulk about not being in the team, Nunez and Gakpo have laid down a marker when given the opportunity. That has motivated Jota and Diaz to respond. Salah remains Salah, while Chiesa, the new addition from Juventus, will increase competition further when he is up to speed.

Slot is spoiled for choice. He demonstrated that by tweaking his system to more of a 4-2-4, picking four of his six options, with Jota and Nunez operating centrally and Gakpo and Chiesa outside of them.

It was Jota who dropped into the No 10 role frequently but it did not diminish his threat. They were his first goals since the opening day of the season, but he remains Liverpool’s best finisher when fit. It is the consistency and ruthlessness in front of goal that Nunez has lacked during his two years on Merseyside.

Jota’s second goal was assisted by Curtis Jones. His burst into space and delicate pass capped an excellent performance from the midfielder who faces a battle to break up Liverpool’s starting midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Gakpo looks like a player reborn in the left wing role. After rarely featuring in that role under Klopp, the 25-year-old has carried the form he built up during the European Championships. His progressive ball-carrying makes him difficult to stop in full flow and similarly to Diaz, they are being direct and displaying clarity and composure when in good attacking positions.

Salah continues to set the standards. He has started the season in excellent form and remains a reliable source of goals and assists.

Their form has given Slot the opportunity to ease summer signing Chiesa in with little pressure. Just under a month after his move was finalised, supporters finally got to see the 26-year-old involved from the start. Having had no pre-season or significant playing time since Italy’s exit from Euro 2024 in June, his first start was never likely to be an all-action 90 minutes.

It was a quiet opening 20 minutes but Liverpool collectively looked like a side that had made nine changes — Chiesa taking on the role of the new kid in class.

That changed when he assisted Jota on 25 minutes and as the half progressed, Chiesa’s influence grew. Frequently rotating with right-back Conor Bradley to provide width on the right-hand side and moving centrally, he showed he can provide threat from both positions.

He became more involved and was progressive in possession. After drifting inside, a burst into the left-hand side of the box was followed by a deft nutmeg on Vladimir Coufal before his cross was cleared. Minutes later he drove at his full-back on the right, working his way into the box before firing over.

It was a sneak peek of what is to come. Work is increasing on his understanding of Slot’s system alongside his match fitness. What pleased his head coach was his willingness and intensity out of possession.

“It was good to see that he could play 60 minutes because he hasn’t played a lot, maybe hasn’t played hardly any minutes in the last three or four months,” Slot said.

“For him it is important that apart from getting more match fitness, he has to have playing minutes. He assisted, although it was a shot on target that provided Diogo for a goal, worked really hard and it is normal he is not already at the top of his ability. He has to get used to the club, his team-mates, the playing style. It was very good to see how match fit he is so we can use him if we need him.”

While there were concerns about the depth of Liverpool’s squad in areas during the summer, attack was not one of them.

Through performances, they are motivating and challenging each other. Slot will be keen for them to maintain the competition — it means the goals will flow.

(Top photo: Jota, left, and Gakpo scored twice against West Ham. Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)