Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score twice in the final 10 minutes as 10-man Liverpool came from a goal down to stun Newcastle 2-1 at St. James’ Park on Sunday.
Anthony Gordon had pounced on a Trent Alexander-Arnold mistake to put the Magpies in front before Virgil van Dijk was sent off for bringing down Alexander Isak inside half an hour.
But Newcastle failed to make the man advantage count and were punished when Nunez produced two moments of rare quality so far in his Liverpool career to turn the game on its head.
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“With 10 men in my history, 1,000 games (as a manager), I have never had something like that. At Newcastle, in this stadium with that atmosphere, it is crazy,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool spent a club-record £85 million ($107 million) on Nunez just over a year ago, but the Uruguayan has found himself behind Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo in the battle to be Klopp’s preferred number nine early in the season.
Nunez was unleashed from the bench 13 minutes from time and made the most of his opportunity as he was twice released behind the Newcastle defence and kept his nerve to fire low and hard beyond Nick Pope.
“We calmed the game down and brought on Darwin. He was obviously fired up from not starting,” added Klopp.
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“It’s clear he’s not happy but it’s early in the season, we need to find stability and results.
“We need to find a way of playing. This is a new team with new key players. It needs time. He scores two goals and can’t get the smile off his face.”
Victory keeps Liverpool two points behind leaders Manchester City and lays down an early-season marker after Newcastle usurped the Reds to secure Champions League football last season.
“We should have put the game to bed and that’s the thing we are kicking ourselves about,” said Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.
– Alexander-Arnold escapes early red –
Liverpool were lucky not to be a man down after just six minutes. Alexander-Arnold had already been booked for throwing the ball away when he pulled down Gordon as the Newcastle man tore down the left wing.
But to the astonishment of the home crowd and Newcastle bench, referee John Brooks did not produce a second yellow card.
“For me, yes (it’s a red card),” Howe told Sky Sports. “You don’t want to see a player sent off but, for me, that’s a clear red card.
“Two moments that are key in the game and the referee got the first one wrong. We’re not looking at that as the reason we didn’t win the game – that has to fall on our laps.”
Joe Gomez was sent out by Klopp to warm up with one eye on replacing Alexander-Arnold to keep him out of further trouble.
The Liverpool boss might have wished he had made that change as Alexander-Arnold’s failure to control Mohamed Salah’s pass allowed Gordon to run clear on goal and score just his second Newcastle goal since a £45 million move from Everton in January.
Things went from bad to worse for the Reds when Brooks did produce a red card, Van Dijk’s first of his Liverpool career, on 28 minutes.
The Liverpool captain was deemed to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity when he kicked through Isak on the edge of the area.
Only some brilliance from Alisson Becker kept Liverpool in the game before half-time as the Brazilian turned Miguel Almiron’s fiercely struck volley onto the crossbar.
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Almiron came even closer after the break as some mesmeric wing play scythed through the Liverpool defence, only for his shot to come back off the post.
But Newcastle were made to pay for not adding to their lead in an incredible finale.
Sven Botman failed to deal with Jota’s ball forward and Nunez drilled a shot into the far corner nine minutes from time.
Salah had been kept largely quiet in the week he was linked with joining the stars leaving European football for Saudi Arabia.
But the Egyptian produced three minutes into stoppage time when his pass put Nunez in the clear once more to deliver the most telling goal of his Liverpool career to date.
Rodri strikes late as Man City extend perfect start
Manchester City extended their perfect start to the Premier League season as Rodri sealed a dramatic 2-1 win against Sheffield United after Erling Haaland scored once and missed a penalty for the champions on Sunday.
Haaland drove a first half spot-kick against the post before his header put City in front after the break at Bramall Lane.
City were in danger of squandering the points when Jayden Bogle equalised against the run of play with just five minutes left.
But Rodri saved City with a blistering strike three minutes later as Pep Guardiola’s side moved to the top of the table after a third successive victory.
City’s latest success was achieved without Guardiola, who was watching on television while he recuperates after back surgery in Barcelona.
The City boss was in constant contact with his assistant Juanma Lillo, who took the reins at Bramall Lane and will also be in charge for the champions’ clash with Fulham on Saturday.
Guardiola’s rehabilitation will have been aided by the knowledge that City can thrive in his absence.
Although he achieved it from afar, it was a landmark victory for Guardiola, who now has 200 league wins with City in just 269 games, beating the previous Premier League record of 326 matches to reach that milestone set by Jose Mourinho in 2020.
“We played really well, especially bearing in mind how difficult games like these are,” Lillo said.
“Thirty shots is a lot, but not being able to finish just at the right time made it more difficult.”
For the first time since 2016, City have opened a season with three consecutive league wins in an ominous statement to their title rivals that last season’s treble triumph has not sated their appetite for success.
“Mentally this team have had seven years of preparation and they are very impressive,” Lillo said.
“It is better to pick up these points but it is still early. It is going to be a really tough battle this season.”
City should have gone ahead in the 36th minute when Julian Alvarez’s cross was blocked by John Egan’s out-stretched arm.
But Haaland hammered his penalty against the post. The Norwegian stood with a look of disbelief etched on his face as the ball rebounded to safety.
It was Haaland’s first penalty miss in the Premier League after scoring his previous seven.
When Haaland steered another good chance wide from Kyle Walker’s cross, it looked like a day to forget for the striker.
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– Rodri to rescue –
Haaland was denied again from Mateo Kovacic’s pass, his close-range chip clawed away by Wes Foderingham.
But Haaland finally rewarded City’s territorial dominance in the 63rd minute, rising above Jack Robinson at the far post to head his third goal this season from Jack Grealish’s teasing cross.
City were cruising but Blades substitute Bogle snatched a shock equaliser in the 85th minute.
Walker was guilty of a needless backheel inside his own area, prolonging a United attack that climaxed with Bogle’s fierce shot deflecting in off Nathan Ake.
City responded superbly and regained the lead three minutes later when Rodri lashed into the top corner from 12 yards after Walker redeemed himself by winning back possession outside the United area.
Aston Villa powered to a 3-1 win at Burnley as Matty Cash’s double extended a remarkable goal spree from Unai Emery’s side.
After losing 5-1 at Newcastle in their season opener, Villa had rebounded by routing Everton 4-0 and crushing Hibernian 5-0.
John McGinn’s eighth minute pass found Ollie Watkins and his cross was perfectly weighted for Cash to finish with aplomb from close-range.
Cash netted again in the 20th minute, smashing home after a swift exchange of passes with Moussa Diaby.
In the 47th minute, Burnley’s Lyle Foster fired home to become the first South African to score a Premier League goal since Steven Pienaar netted for Everton in 2013.
But Diaby ended Burnley’s hopes in the 61st minute with a clinical finish.
