After a frustrating season for Darwin Nunez and 90 minutes of frustration for Liverpool fans at Brentford, our sadness was turned to smiles…
A DRAW would have been so unfair.
Let’s be clear. There are different types of draws. A goal and a man down against Fulham with the majority of the game to play – you take a point. A late goal against Forest at home – Arne Slot gets an undisturbed night’s sleep.
A 0-0 at Brentford after a good performance and with Arsenal to play, just days after gifting them two points in the title race – I’d still be furious now. A draw would have been harsh.
I’ve not been great lately. Christmas and early January will always be troublesome times for my mental health, and I can’t say The Reds have helped. We’ve been too passive early on in games and conceding the first goal so often is a deep concern.
Seeing the ease in which Forest scored at the City Ground did little to help my brittle mindset. I wanted – needed – more than three points at Brentford. I wanted my soul to be nourished.
And then I saw his face. Now I’m a believer.
Where are you with Darwin Nunez? I’m somewhere between him doing my head in with every passing day and painting a mural of him on the side of my house.
I didn’t think he could do that – knock not one, but two goals in during injury time. Not after Newcastle and Forest away last year when you think all his miracles have been used up. Only this week on AFQ Football, I called for Jayden Danns to get a first team start ahead of the pony-tailed Adonis.
This is what I can’t get past. My stream crashed spectacularly on 89 minutes with the score still 0-0 and my soul on the floor. Arsenal would inevitably beat Villa and go two points behind us – that big gap reduced just enough to cause momentum in the wrong corridors.
Three minutes later Darwin Nunez was on a hat trick. Three minutes.
My soul rewarded with a much-needed power-up like Mario eating a mushroom. (The kids still play Mario, yeah? I’ve heard it’s ‘slay’.)
I don’t know if Darwin stays or not. I think he’s unlucky enough to play for a Liverpool which needs a certain type of number nine, a type he isn’t. What I will say is that he certainly makes an impact. That’s not always positive, but you always know he’s there.
People talk about his instinct. The fact that he’s best when he doesn’t have to think, but not everything is so black and white. Not many people will notice the touch he took before his second on Saturday. I’m not sure he would have done that last year. He might have just crashed the ball the second it came to him.
Darwin’s cameo took the light off two outstanding performances. Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai were incredible for Liverpool. Ibou in that weird half centre back, half right back hybrid role and Dom with his selfless energy and that shot. That goes in and I’d have to buy more paint.
A nod to Harvey Elliott too. A hand in both goals. You can’t help but feel sorry for his lack of opportunities, but he seldom lets you down.
Also, in the interest of much unneeded balance, I thought Christian Norgaard was the absolute business for them.
Seasons can swing on days like Saturday. From a possible two-point lead to six clear with a game in hand. We have to build on it, though. Lille barely matters but Ipswich, Bournemouth, Everton and Wolves must be dealt with. All opening goals for Liverpool, please.
Over that same period, Arsenal have Wolves (a), City (h) – always liked them – and Leicester (a) which doesn’t look like a bad run. Then we go to City (never liked them).
Liverpool needed that on Saturday.
Darwin Nunez certainly did.
