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Football

01st Sep 2022

Darwin Nunez goads Newcastle bench after Liverpool’s late winner at Anfield

Lee Costello

He certainly has an edge about him.

Liverpool seem to have rediscovered some of that Anfield magic last night, when they looked dead and out against a disciplined and well organised Newcastle side.

After going one goal down, the Reds struggled to get a shot on target, until Bobby Firmino scored his third goal in just five days, silencing critics who claimed he is now obsolete as a front-three option.

The Magpies did everything they could to escape with a draw, they held onto the ball, took an age with the kick outs, went down with cramp at every opportunity, all in an attempt to run down the clock.

The referee however, who had signalled for five minutes of extra time, was adding every second of the time-wasting on, and in the 98th minute Fábio Carvalho slammed the ball into the net.

On his 20th birthday, the young midfielder was the coolest man in the stadium as tensions brimmed past boiling point, and when he volleyed home, the place just erupted.

Jurgen Klopp was already in several altercations with the Newcastle coaching staff regarding the time-wasting issue, and the two benches were at each other’s throats over every decision.

In a game as tense and passionate as this, things were bound to spill over, and when the winner went in, you can see Liverpool’s assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders parading in front of the Newcastle bench, who appear to have thrown a water bottle at the Reds staff.

Then suddenly, the camera pans just over the Liverpool bench, and standing there was Darwin Nunez, the £80m striker who is currently out due to suspension.

The sharp shooter received a red card for a headbutting incident against Crystal Palace, and his exuberant celebrations towards the opposition bench last night, highlighted that this man plays with an edge that will no doubt surface again.

No prizes for guessing what the Uruguayan was shouting, as he looked ready to jump onto the pitch and have a word with Eddie Howe’s staff personally.

Liverpool play Everton this Saturday in the Merseyside derby, and Nunez will once again be available for selection having served his three-match ban.

If tensions were high against Newcastle, you can only imagine the cauldron that he will be walking into when it comes to derby day, so it will be very interesting to see how he will perform under that sort of pressure.

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