Brentford 0-2 Liverpool: Nunez's late brace secures three points for Reds

DARWIN NUNEZ rammed the Brentford fans’ taunts down their throats with the stoppage-time goals that rescued Liverpool from another damaging draw.

Match Report

“You’re just a s**t Andy Carroll” sang the home faithful when Kop boss Arne Slot sent on his unconvincing Uruguayan to try to find the breakthrough.

But in the first minute of added time, Nunez tucked home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross to turn his team’s dominance at last into a goal.

The away fans responded by turning the Bees’ chant back on them.

But when Nunez struck again to end all doubt, the travelling supporters opted for “Liverpool, Liverpool, top of the league” and “We shall not be moved”.

These are the days that titles are won and lost.

If the Reds had come away with only a point despite having more than 40 shots, it would have been six points dropped out of nine.

Instead Nunez threw down the gauntlet to Arsenal ahead of their teatime kick off with two of the most important goals of his Liverpool career.

Brentford could have no complaints but threatened themselves in a harum-scarum second half.

But Liverpool were not to be denied after a slow start.

Brentford should have scored inside five minutes.

Right back Mads Roerslev crossed from near the byline but a slight deflection deceived Mikkel Damsgaard and he was unable to adjust himself, failing to get even a touch on the ball as he lurked at the back post.

Kostas Tsimikas started the game after his immediate impact as a substitute against Nottingham Forest but soon gave Slot cause to wonder if it was the right decision.

Inside eight minutes the Greek was booked for tugging back Bryan Mbeumo on the halfway line and a long afternoon beckoned against Brentford’s main man.

Mbeumo had a couple of shots easily saved by Alisson and in between Liverpool started to look a bit more threatening, with one particularly good chance..

Centre back Ibrahima Konate chipped in a pass but Luis Diaz got his attempted header all wrong, so much so that the ball came off his back and went behind.

Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken kept out a Ryan Gravenberch shot without too much trouble and Liverpool’s attacking play lacked authority in the final third.

Home skipper Christian Norgaard sent a header over from Mbeumo’s free kick. Dominik Szboszlai’s effort at the other end was deflected behind for one of a number of corners for the away team, none of which they could make count.

The Hungarian was coming into the game and after ending a good run with a tame shot, his next effort, this time from distance, clipped the crossbar.

Moments later Szoboszlai was involved again in a lovely move started by Gakpo.

The Dutchman should have finished it, too, but his shot from Mo Salah’s cross would not have been hard enough even if it had been on target.

The Reds ended the half with 18 shots and nine corners yet no goals.

Within seconds of the restart, Szoboszlai’s cross-shot drifted wide.

Then one brilliant break ended with Salah’s shot being half blocked and headed behind for another corner, and another with a Diaz effort being cut out by Sepp van den Berg.

Brentford looked dangerous at times, too. Trent Alexander-Arnold sprinted back to tidy up after one pass sent Mbeumo bearing down on goal.

Liverpool, through Diaz, finally forced another save out of Flekken but the Colombian was guilty of taking a dive as he followed up.

Slot soon sent on Darwin Nunez for Diaz, and the Uruguayan was greeted by the home fans with a chorus of “You’re just a s**t Andy Carroll.”

Nunez hardly made them eat their words when he failed to make the most of his first chance and headed off target.

And the Liverpool fans’ cheers stuck in their throats when they realised Alexis Mac Allister’s header had gone the wrong side of the post.

There were jitters at the other end when an Mbeumo free kick made it all the way through to Allison, who pushed it away in a panic and moments later saved from the same player.

Alexander-Arnold was furious when Nunez wasted a promising position with a brainless shot well over the bar.

The only previous occasion on which Liverpool had failed to score in the league was in their only defeat, at home against Forest in September.

Slot sent on Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones in search of the breakthrough.

Instead Yoane Wissa tested Alisson with a shot, before Alexander-Arnold fired wide and then Van Dijk cleared a dangerous Kevin Schade cross.

Slot’s last throw of the dice was to send on Federico Chiesa in the dying minutes.

But it was Nunez who came up trumps.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

6' Nørgaard shot from very close range misses to the left

7' Gakpo header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner

8' Tsimikas an early booking. Liverpool earns their first yellow card

15' Luis Díaz header from the left side of the six yard box is close

18' Gravenberch shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner

23' Nørgaard header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high

35' Szoboszlai  hits the bar with a shot from outside the box

39' Gakpo shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right

43' Yellow Card! Szoboszlai booked

49' Gakpo's shot stopped by defender

52' Lewis-Potter goes down but ref says noting

55' Mohamed Salah shot from the centre of the box is blocked

58' MBUEMO spoils a HUGE CHANCE!

67' Darwin Núñez header from the centre of the box misses to the left

69' Mac Allister header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left

80' Sub,Mac Allister out

84' Alexander-Arnold  shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left

87' CHIESA HAS ENTERED THE PITCH!

89' Match Event for Brentford vs Liverpool

91' GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Liverpool (Darwin Núñez)

92' GOAL! Brentford 0-2 Liverpool (Darwin Núñez)

Line-ups

Brentford XI: Christian Nørgaard, Mark Flekken, Yoane Wissa, Janelt, Mads Roerslev, Mikkel Damsgaard, Van den Berg, Bryan Mbeumo, Keane Lewis-Potter, Nathan Collins, Yegor Yarmolyuk

Subs: Mee, Rico Henry, Mathias Jensen, Hákon Rafn Valdimarsson, Fabio Carvalho, Paris Maghoma, Kevin Schade, Ji-soo Kim, Yunus Emre Konak

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Salah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Gakpo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Luis Díaz, Gravenberch

Subs: Endo, Robertson, Kelleher, Chiesa, Nunez, Curtis Jones, Elliott, Quansah, Conor Bradley