Darwin Núñez, a late substitution by Jürgen Klopp, had little chances to shine for Liverpool throughout the weekend. The German coach waited until the 77th minute to attack, and Newcastle United suffered.
In the following 15 minutes, Núñez almost single-handedly transformed the game. Liverpool had been playing with 10 men on Tyneside for an hour after Virgil van Dijk was sent off, but the Uruguayan striker scored twice to give Merseyside three improbable points.
Klopp’s team used Núñez’s speed and ability to play past opponents to score two very similar goals against the Magpies. South American has several superpowers, including functioning in space when he uses his sprinting strength to lead his squad. He can’t constantly play this style since most Liverpool opponents sit deep in pursuit of a clean sheet, making the Reds favorites to win. Newcastle United gave Núñez a chance to shine on Sunday afternoon.
“He was obviously fired up from not playing, not starting, then put all the energy in these two shots,” Klopp told Sky Sports following the fight. “Super mature performance and two top-class goals.”
The 24-year-old striker has started on the bench in Liverpool’s three Premier League matches this season, but after scoring twice against the Toon, he has a strong case for a start, even if his coach isn’t convinced. He’s clearly unhappy—how can a player be happy while not starting? It’s early in the season, so we need consistency, formation, and results. This squad has new key players and is entirely new. So that takes time.”
Núñez may be given a start this weekend after scoring a brace. Liverpool’s match against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon may be ideal for him. The Spanish coach favors hazardous offside traps. In his final season in La Liga before moving to England, Villarreal ranked second in opposing offsides behind Real Betis, and he’s tried to use the same strategy in Birmingham.
Aston Villa led the Premier League in offsides last season with 116. Liverpool is famed for their offside trap under Klopp, but it fell well behind in second, tied with Fulham on 88. Despite Emery’s mid-season appointment, his team ranked fourth in Europe’s top five leagues for offsides, after only Almería, Barcelona, and Sassuolo.
Newcastle United has already exploited Emery’s daring offside trap in three times this season. Newcastle scored five goals thanks to Eddie Howe’s timed runs by Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, and Harvey Barnes behind Aston Villa’s defense. Emery’s team has won two consecutive games against Burnley and Everton. However, Núñez’s danger might be crucial for Liverpool this weekend.
