3. Darwin Nunez plays hero as 10-man Liverpool prompt unlikely comeback versus Toons
It's not often you win matches down a man, especially when the player being sent off is your best defender and captain. However, Darwin Nunez stole the show against Newcastle United at St. James Park in August 2023.
At the 25-minute mark, a back pass from Mo Salah fooled Trent Alexander-Arnold, slipping scouser Anthony Gordon into a one-on-one scenario with Alisson and ultimately putting up Newcastle 1-0. Just minutes later, Virgil van Dijk got sent off for committing a foul, which was deemed as denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity just outside the Reds' penalty area.
The Magpies searched for a second goal shortly after van Dijk's sending-off, but Alisson's world-class save against Almiron kept Newcastle up by just one. In the 77th minute, Darwin Nunez entered the pitch, with the Uruguayan subbing on in place of fellow South American Alexis Mac Allister.
Some phenomenal build-up play from the Reds ended with Diogo Jota's failed pass hitting the back of Newcastle's Dan Burn. The lanky fullback was caught off guard by the pass, which allowed Darwin Nunez to secure the ball just outside the Newcastle box. A perfect strike of the ball from Nunez found the bottom left corner of the goal and put the match back on level terms heading into the final stretch.
While most Reds supporters would have been okay with the draw being down a man, Nunez had other ideas about the match's ending. A sublime pass from Mo Salah at the 90+3 mark found Nunez, and again, a marking mistake from Burn slipped the striker into a perfect position. Nick Pope, in goal for Newcastle, anticipated the mistake by rushing out quickly, but it was too late, as Darwin Nunez again picked out the bottom left corner.
An enthralling match so early in the season was a treat for supporters and showed a glimpse of the elite striker Darwin Nunez can be.
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