Darwin Nunez scored twice in the last minutes to make an incredible comeback and give Liverpool, down to 10 players, a thrilling victory over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
Anthony Gordon scored in the 25th minute after taking advantage of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s error, and for much of the mesmerising game, Liverpool was battling against the odds. Three minutes later, captain Virgil van Dijk saw a dismissal for a tackle against Alexander Isak.
Before Uruguayan attacker Nunez was brought to surprising effect, Alisson amazingly saved Miguel Almiron’s shot in the first half. The forward then struck the post after the interval.
With nine minutes remaining, Nunez sped through to blast a shot past Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope. Three minutes into stoppage time, Nunez received Mohamed Salah’s ball in stride and applied a similarly spectacular finish to give Liverpool the astounding victory.
Liverpool’s surprise
At the same moment that Liverpool appeared to have earned a point, Nunez struck once again, sending Klopp, who had spent the majority of the day irritated and irate, crazy with joy on the sidelines.
Liverpool was outnumbered by one player, confused, and clung to a lead for the majority of the game, so their victory was a testament to their perseverance and strength of character. Then, out of nowhere, they found their mojo and won the game.
Goalkeeper Alisson must be credited for the incredible stop he made from Almiron’s shot when Liverpool was down 1-0, deflecting his powerful effort onto the goal frame. All evidence points to the fact that even Jurgen Klopp’s team would not have recovered from that. With the substitution of replacements Diogo Jota and Nunez, Liverpool changed the focus of the game from one of survival to one of danger. This was a wise decision in a very bad scenario.
Newcastle left astonished
Almost stunned, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and his team watched as Liverpool celebrated a spectacular smash-and-grab victory as the final whistle blew following a frenetic match.
When they were in perfect control against Liverpool, who were down to 10 men, down by a goal, and unable to handle the ferocity of Newcastle’s pressing, they were left to regret not taking advantage.
Alisson served as a barrier, and the woodwork also prevented Newcastle from extending the advantage that Gordon’s slick finish had given them. Newcastle lost opportunities and squandered chances before paying a steep price.
With the score 1-0, substitute player Harvey Barnes made a selfish move to go alone in front of goal with Callum Wilson unmarked. With Liverpool’s abundance of offensive quality, danger always lurks, as Newcastle discovered to their detriment.
After the opening-weekend hammering of Aston Villa, it was Newcastle’s second loss in three games. This one will hurt more since they will know they should have had this one locked up until Nunez’s late double.
