Darwin Nunez came off the bench to grab two late goals in Liverpool’s win over Newcastle United.
Darwin Nunez double strike
Liverpool have yet to see the real Darwin Nunez, but on Sunday afternoon, they finally got to see what all the fuss is about. He has had a stuttering start to his career on Merseyside; ever since he was red-carded on his debut at the start of last season, he has failed to nail down a regular starting place. Nevertheless, he did still manage nine goals in 29 appearances, so it is clear the Uruguayan has immense talent.
On Sunday, Nunez made his third appearance of the season off the bench, this time in the 77th minute, as he replaced Alexis Mac Allister. It seemed a lost cause with the Reds 1-0 down and playing with ten men after Virgil Van Dijk was sent off halfway through the first half.
Then, scoring twice in ten minutes, the game was flipped on its head with two stunning strikes that saw Liverpool win their second game on the spin and leave Newcastle rueing, not asserting their early dominance. For Nunez, though, this could be the kickstart to his season.
Behind Salah
Nunez has had to sit and watch Mohamed Salah control the starting position, rightly so, but with Salah still the subject of Saudi transfer speculation, this might be the perfect time for him to remind manager Jurgen Klopp that he won’t need to go into the transfer market himself should Salah leave. Although it would be a dream partnership should Salah resist the big money and stay on Merseyside.
Nunez is only 24, and his initial £64m fee could be increased with the add-ons to £85m; he still has time to impress himself on the Anfield faithful. This brace will no doubt keep him firmly in everyone’s thoughts. If he had failed to make this dramatic impact, it would have again been a case of not turning up on the big occasion. However, he is now back in the spotlight.
Rave reviews
The two goals had the pundits raving, and ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville said that he would “frighten me” if he was still playing. And all-time Premier League top goal scorer Alan Shearer said his double strike was “unbelievable.” This may prove to be the turning point for Nunez, and Klopp will be hoping just that.