Late, late Nunez show boosts EPL leaders Liverpool
Darwin Nunez has scored twice in stoppage time to earn Liverpool an important 2-0 win at Brentford that strengthens their push for another Premier League title.
Nunez was derided by Brentford’s fans after going on as a substitute in the 65th minute on Saturday, but the Uruguay striker responded by turning home a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold in the first minute of added-on time.
Nunez then finished off a counter-attack two minutes later to secure a first victory in three league games for Liverpool, who’d drawn with Manchester United and Nottingham Forest either side of a loss to Tottenham in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals.
Liverpool have still lost only one league game all season, at home to Forest in September, and were rewarded for their persistence against Brentford as they had 37 shots, only to score with their final two.
Earlier, Justin Kluivert had scored his second hat-trick of the season in the league to inspire Bournemouth to a 4-1 thumping of Newcastle, whose nine-match winning run in all competitions came to an end emphatically.
The Dutch midfielder netted in the sixth, 44th and 92nd minute at St James’ Park, with Milos Kerkez adding the fourth goal in the sixth minute of added-on time.
Bruno Guimaraes had earlier equalised for fourth-placed Newcastle before their capitulation.
Kluivert, whose father is former Netherlands striker Patrick Kluivert, also scored three against Wolverhampton in November.
In that match, all of Kluivert’s goals were penalties, but his treble against Newcastle were all from open play.
Six of Newcastle’s nine straight victories have come in the league, helping to lift the Saudi-controlled team into the top four in their bid to return to the Champions League.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak failed to score, having previously netted in eight league games in a row. That left him three games short of Leicester striker Jamie Vardy’s record for the longest scoring run in Premier League history.
Bournemouth dominated Newcastle despite being hampered by a long list of injuries, the south coast team extending their unbeaten run to 11 games and climbing to sixth, tied for points with fifth-placed Chelsea.
A fifth-place finish could earn a place in the Champions League next season for the first time.
“Why not dream big?” Kluivert posed. “We never know where we can end up.”
Next-to-last Leicester lost a seventh-straight game in the league, 2-0 to Fulham, to heap more pressure on recently hired manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Van Nistelrooy has won only one of his nine league games in charge – the first one against West Ham on December 3 – but goals from Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traore sank the Foxes.
Crystal Palace won at West Ham 2-0 thanks to two second-half goals by Jean-Philippe Mateta, the second from the penalty spot.
#Late #late #Nunez #show #boosts #EPL #leaders #Liverpool