Following the harsh red card for Virgil van Dijk after 30 minutes, Liverpool had just two shots on target. Both came from Darwin Nunez, in an astonishing victory, silencing St James Park, and bringing delight to the travelling Kop. Somehow, the fact that Klopp’s men barely deserved a draw, makes it all the sweeter, and lift-off for the Uruguayan’s Anfield career may be the lasting legacy of a remarkable game.
The victory, as much as it will be remembered for a double strike from Nunez, wouldn’t have happened without a bit of luck, and a truly world class save, yet again, from Alisson. The Brazilian somehow palming away a ferocious close range strike from Almiron, and in later getting his angles spot on, as Almiron once gain thought he’d scored his side’s second, only to see his strike hit the post. Both huge moments in a game in which. even with 11 men, Liverpool were too often second best and hanging on, following the early strike from former Evertonian, Anthony Gordon.
A strong start to the game from Newcastle saw Liverpool come under pressure from the first whistle. However, it was the referee who shaped what was a compelling spectacle. With Gary Neville rightly claiming that the game was ‘too big’ for John Brookes, his decision not to award a free-kick following a push on Trent Alexander-Arnold, which led to the right-back receiving a yellow card for dissent when he threw the ball away, was soon compounded by him not then awarding a second yellow for a foul that really should have seen a red card brandished. Of course, yet another inept refereeing display was crowned by a red card being given to the Dutch centre-back, when surely a yellow was all that was necessary.
Jurgen Klopp, clearly incensed by some baffling officiating, later claimed his side were better, more compact and resolute, with 10 men. They were. As to why, that might be a question for another day, but the fact remains that Liverpool somehow saw out the first half without conceding a second. Inevitably Newcastle dominated the second half, but on 75 minutes and having already made some changes, Klopp introduced Nunez to proceedings.
His first goal, just after 80 minutes, was a stunning early strike and, in rifling the shot past Nick Pope, it looked like Liverpool would escape with a point. Little did the by now stunned home crowd realise, he’d replicate the goal in the 93rd minute. A sublime through ball from Mo Salah again giving the substitute the chance to once again hit a thunderous and unerring shot, low to the right of Pope, before nestling into the corner. The Uruguayan’s delight was matched by the travelling Kop, who serenaded the striker as the remaining two minutes played out to a rapidly emptying St. James Park.
The quite remarkable victory was testament to resilience, determination and a little luck, as Newcastle squandered chance after chance. Yet, at 1-0 down, even with 10 men, good teams with world-class talent are never out of the game. Liverpool have world class players – Salah, rumoured to be the subject of continued interest from Saudi Arabia, being one. Whether Nunez becomes another remains to be seen, but he certainly produced two world class finishes on Tyneside, as survival was transformed into perhaps the most unlikely three points you’ll see for a very long time.
