Sport
Super-sub Nunez grabs 2-1 win for 10-man Liverpool against Newcastle
Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score twice as Liverpool snatched a sensational 2-1 Premier League win at Newcastle United on Sunday.
This was after the visitors bounced back from a straight red card in the first half for captain Virgil van Dijk.
The Uruguayan came on in the 77th minute before grabbing the limelight with two superb finishes, his first Premier League goals since scoring against Leeds United back in April.
The 24-year-old had seemingly fallen down the pecking order among Liverpool’s attacking talents.
But he stole the thunder of Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, who looked set to end his side’s 13-game league run without a win over Juergen Klopp’s side.
Having picked up an early yellow card, Trent Alexander-Arnold was lucky to stay on the field when he pulled down Gordon.
But he gifted Newcastle the opener in the 25th minute when he mis-controlled the ball, allowing Gordon to run onto it and slot it past Alisson Becker.
Van Dijk was sent off just over two minutes later, with referee John Brooks showing him a straight red card for fouling Alexander Isak on the edge of the box.
The referee’s on-field decision was also backed and upheld by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
That prompted a period of dominance from the home side, with Alisson pulling off a brilliant save to push Miguel Almiron’s powerful volley onto the crossbar in the 36th minute.
Almiron fired another golden opportunity over the bar five minutes into the second half as Newcastle made the most of having an extra player, and he hit the post in the 76th minute.
The introduction of Nunez proved a game-changer and he got the equaliser when Sven Botman fluffed his lines, allowing Nunez to rifle the ball across Nick Pope and in at the far post.
With the game heading for a draw, Nunez struck again three minutes into stoppage time with an almost identical second.
The goal left the home fans crestfallen as the visitors, led by coach Klopp, celebrated wildly on the pitch.
“I feel very happy for the team to be able to help them.
“After we went a man down, the team played really well.
“We work really hard for these moments, and I am happy to score the two goals to help the team,” a beaming Nunez told Sky Sports, with keeper Alisson acting as his translator.
In a recent interview, former Nigerian football star Yakubu Aiyegbeni has revealed that he continues to receive messages and criticisms from fans, years after his infamous miss during the 2010 FIFA World Cup match against South Korea.
The moment, etched into football history, occurred during Nigeria’s crucial group stage game against South Korea. With the score tied at 2-2 and a spot in the knockout stages on the line, Aiyegbeni found himself with what seemed like an open goal opportunity. However, to the shock of fans worldwide, he missed the chance, leaving Nigeria unable to secure the much-needed victory.
Despite this moment happening over a decade ago, Aiyegbeni expressed his surprise at the ongoing messages he receives about the miss. “I still get messages from people, different messages,” he stated in the interview. “It’s surprising how that moment still sticks with people, even after all these years.”
The striker, who had a successful career playing for clubs like Everton and Portsmouth in the English Premier League, admitted that the miss was a tough moment in his career. “Of course, it was a big moment, and I wish it had gone differently. But in football, you have highs and lows,” he remarked.
Serie A giants Napoli have announced the departure of coach Rudi Garcia after a poor spell and announced his successor with immediate effect
Reigning Serie A champions Napoli have announced the departure of French manager Rudi Garcia after a poor run of form that sees the Partenopei handing on to faint hopes of defending the Scudetto title won last season.
Napoli have only claimed one win in their last four matches in all competitions, trailing Serie A leaders Inter by 10 points while also trailing Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League by five points.
Osimhen gets new coach as Napoli reportedly appoint Walter Mazzarri to replace Rudi Garcia
With the Partenopei looking a lot worse than they did at this stage last season, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has chosen to act swiftly before things get out of hand.
The club chief revealed that Garcia had been relieved of his duty, after posting a message on social media platform X to announce the arrival of the Frenchman’s replacement.
Napoli announce Garcia successor
That replacement is a former Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri[url][/url], who was welcomed back to the club by De Laurentiis, who was also the owner during his last spell at the club.
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