Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score a devastating brace and turn what seemed a certain defeat into a thrilling victory 2-1 at St James' Park on Sunday.
The Uruguayan has had a difficult start to life at Anfield following his big money move from Benfica in the summer of 2022 - so much so that he found himself on the sidelines for the important early season trip to Newcastle.
But with his side down to 10 men following Virgil van Dijk's 29th-minute red card, he was summoned from the bench to offer some pace and energy in the closing stages.
The Reds had looked dead and buried when the Dutch defender was dismissed just three minutes after Anthony Gordon had fired the home side into a 25th-minute lead.
However, they escaped further punishment, riding their luck at times, to make it to the latter stages of the game still only one goal behind, and ultimately emerged with three points after substitute Nunez scored an unlikely late double.
Defender Trent Alexander Arnold said afterwards: “It was something for the ages, to be honest, one of our best performances since the manager’s come in – and we’ve had some outstanding performances as a team, as individuals. But I think we’ll look back on this game as something very, very special.”
You can see the player ratings from Sunday's match in the gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or swipe if using a mobile device.
