During Liverpool’s last-gasp win over Newcastle, another fascinating chapter in a Premier League fixture that so regularly delivers was penned.
Jurgen Klopp’s men were a goal and a man up at the midway stage of the St James’ Park encounter with Newcastle, with Virgil van Dijk sent out after Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock.
The visitors, who were certain to suffer their first defeat of the season, had to wait until the 81st minute for their next opportunity on goal – but they made it count.
Darwin Nunez capitalized on Sven Botman’s failure to clear an uncomfortable ball before firing into the corner of the net off the post.
Nunez struck again in the third minute of stoppage time, sliding the ball past Nick Pope to give Liverpool a 2-1 victory that looked unthinkable 45 minutes before.
Unsurprisingly, there were numerous lessons from Liverpool’s thrilling victory on Tyneside.
Darwin’s evolution
Where better to begin than with Liverpool’s man of the moment, who is making headlines despite only appearing in the 77th minute?
Nunez’s goals were successful finishes, strikes that more traditional goal scorers like Harry Kane or Robert Lewandowski would be proud of, which contrasts with the Uruguayan forward’s inconsistent form in front of goal during his debut season at Anfield.
He’s had to wait for his chance this season, with Klopp preferring more calm forwards like Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, but Gary Neville believes Nunez has weapons that his contemporaries don’t.
“I’d prefer to play against Gakpo.” “I’d rather play against Jota than Darwin Nunez,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“He’d scare me to death running off my shoulder.” The way he moves, the quickness with which he moves… However, if you are unable to complete, you do not always have that punch to knock your opponents out…
“If he continues to add punch like he has today, he will become a very interesting player for Liverpool.”
Just the Beck-sed
Nunez deserves a lot of credit for his contribution, but without some brilliant goalkeeping from Liverpool’s goalkeeper, the game would’ve been finished before the two-goal hero even came on the field.
On Sunday afternoon, Alisson Becker made seven saves, the most in a Premier League encounter.
Not all of them were difficult, but he showed his class by stopping Miguel Almiron’s stinging drive late in the first half – a save touted as a save of the season contender by one of the Premier League’s best ever goalkeepers.
“That’s probably one of the saves of the season, and we’re only in the third week,” Shay Given, a former Newcastle player, told Sky Sports.
“He’s by far one of the best in the world,” Given continued. “He and Van Dijk have been key players in Liverpool’s success over the last five years.” Liverpool has changed dramatically, and he is one of the key reasons.”
How did you manage it?
Liverpool needed Alisson’s hand to stay in the game, and possibly their way back in was courtesy to an unintended helping hand from Newcastle’s manager.
Newcastle’s goal exemplified Gordon’s torment on Reds right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the former Everton forward capitalizing on his fellow Scouser’s failure to control the ball before sprinting in and slotting home.
Gordon had Alexander-Arnold on toast at times in the first half, forcing referee John Brooks to make a crucial early call after being taken down by the Liverpool player after skinning the ball past him.
Eddie Howe chose to put some fresh legs into Newcastle’s attack just minutes before Liverpool equalized, hooking off Gordon as well as Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali.
Nunez’s first goal came from nowhere, but Newcastle were not the same following these alterations, which Howe may now regret.
Tindall mocked
On the subject of hands, an early gesture from Howe’s assistant, Jason Tindall, would come back to bite him at full time.
Tindall was seen seeking to calm Klopp, who appeared irritated with the way the game was progressing.
Klopp, on the other hand, was the one smiling at the end when his team made the astonishing comeback.
Tindall’s photo sparked a frenzy among people looking to mock him on social media, and with cameras everywhere, he may reconsider his future behavior on the field.
It’s time to party!
Victories like these are what make rooting for your team worthwhile, with Alexander-Arnold calling the victory a ‘for the ages’ post-match.
But, despite the thrill of a last-gasp victory, it’s evident that Liverpool still has a lot of flaws in its lineup.
Wataru Endo had a forgettable start in the middle of the park, while Liverpool looked jittery at the back – Van Dijk was caught goalside by Alexander Isak before committing the foul that sent the Dutchman out early.
The Reds have suffered numerous setbacks in the transfer window, and with less than a week to deadline day, they remain a long way from being a real contender for the top trophies this season.
