The Reds appeared doomed to defeat after going a goal and a man down at St James' Park, but the Uruguayan sub turned the game on its head
Darwin Nunez came off the bench to earn 10-man Liverpool a dramatic 2-1 victory at Newcastle on Sunday afternoon with a sensational late double that left St James Park in a state of shock.
The Reds looked to have gifted their hosts three points during a three-minute, first-half implosion that saw Anthony Gordon open the scoring after an atrocious error from Trent Alexander-Arnold before Virgil van Dijk got himself sent off for taking out Alexander Isak on the edge of the area.
However, Newcastle failed to kill the game, with Alisson making a stunning save from Miguel Almiron, who also struck the post with a second-half effort.
Liverpool grew in confidence the longer the game wore on, with Jurgen Klopp's changes making a big impact on the proceedings – none more so than Nunez, who took advantage of Sven Botman error to level matters before then producing another excellent finish after being slipped through by Mohamed Salah in injury-time.
GOAL rates Liverpool's players from St James' Park…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Alisson Becker (8/10):
Betrayed by his back-line once again for the goal but kept Liverpool in the game with the save of the season so far, when he somehow managed to deflect Almiron's close-range drive onto the bar.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (2/10):
Lucky not to have been sent off early on, after fouling Gordon just moments after picking up a needless booking for flicking the ball away, and then gifted Newcastle the opener by mis-controlling a simple pass from Salah in midfield. Even his usually precise passing was off.
Joel Matip (7/10):
Drafted into the starting line-up because of an injury to Konate and acquitted himself well during a heroic rearguard action.
Virgil van Dijk (2/10):
Shocking from the skipper, with Van Dijk stupidly getting himself sent off for going through Isak just outside the area. No chance of this red card being overturned.
Andy Robertson (6/10):
Played with his usual level of passion and tenacity, and also saw plenty of the ball down the left flank even after Van Dijk's dismissal, though if his end product wasn't great.
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Dominik Szoboszlai (6/10):
Started very brightly, looking more than capable of making something happen with his passing and forays forward, but his threat was unsurprisingly curbed after the red card. He never stopped fighting, though, and deserved to end up on the winning team.
Wataru Endo (6/10):
Used the ball well and covered a huge amount of ground in a desperate attempt to keep Newcastle at bay before being taken off, exhausted, just before the hour mark.
Alexis Mac Allister (6/10):
Put himself about, making numerous interceptions and challenges before running out of steam in the closing stages.
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Mohamed Salah (6/10):
Saw so little of the ball for long periods but he worked tirelessly for the cause and his effort was rewarded when Nunez finished off his late through-ball emphatically.
Cody Gakpo (5/10):
Had a half-chance shortly before the break but never looked like scoring at any stage, so it was no surprise to see him subbed.
Luis Diaz (5/10):
The unlucky forward to be withdrawn immediately after the red card. It was a real shame, too, as Diaz had gone closest to scoring for Liverpool, after a characteristically mazy dribble into the area.
GettySubs & Manager
Joe Gomez (7/10):
Came on in place of Van Dijk and did enough to suggest that he should prove a decent replacement for the now-suspended Dutchman.
Harvey Elliott (6/10):
Replaced Endo shortly after the interval and injected some much-needed energy to a flagging midfield.
Diogo Jota (6/10):
Somewhat surprisingly dropped to the bench after netting against Bournemouth last week but was introduced in the 58th minute and added a different dimension to the forward line.
Darwin Nunez (9/10):
Only took over up front for the last 13 minutes of the game but earned Liverpool an incredible victory with two absolutely fantastic finishes that will do wonders for his confidence after starting the first three games of the season on the bench.
Jarell Quansah (N/A):
Brought on alongside Nunez late on and didn't look overawed at all.
Jurgen Klopp (8/10):
Credit it where it's due, Klopp's bold and offensive substitutions paid off spectacularly, and you could see how much this victory meant to him at full-time. Sensational.