With time ticking perilously away for a relentless Liverpool on a bitterly cold afternoon in Brentford, Darwin Nunez received the ball on the edge of the box and shanked it like he was a rugby player at nearby Twickenham.
Up, up and away over the posts and heading straight for the M4 which runs behind this stadium. It took Liverpool’s shot tally into the 30s and summed up their afternoon: imperious build-up play, zero end product. All hat no cattle, as the old saying goes.
Arne Slot was left scratching his head on the sidelines as his side were about to drop points for a third successive league game, hardly opening the door and inviting Arsenal in for a cuppa but certainly leaving it ajar for the Gunners to truly reignite a title challenge.
Then, with shots 36 and 37, Nunez came up with two golden moments that would have sent shockwaves around the footballing world to silence doubters in the fanbase and certainly those Arsenal fans at the Emirates thinking they were set to chase down more ground.
How he needed it and how Slot needed the man who, on Friday, the boss said he was failing to extract the best from. Fans had questioned whether Nunez would ever live up to his £85million transfer fee, with some urging the club to cash in if the Saudis put up a decent fee this summer.
If those two goals help fire Liverpool to the Premier League title, they will be priceless. This was an afternoon riddled with frustration that all of a sudden turned into a day the travelling Kop will not be forgetting in a hurry.
Darwin Nunez struck twice in stoppage time to stun Brentford and seal a 2-0 win for Liverpool
Nunez was called upon from the bench but was there when needed to break the Bees’ hearts
The Uruguayan’s double salvo in stoppage time were the 36th and 37th shots of the game
Nunez lifted his shirt up to them akin to Lionel Messi in El Clasico a decade or so ago.
Let us stop the comparisons there, but he had every right to feel on top of the world as the Reds fans ironically chanted ‘he’s just a s*** Andy Carroll’.
Say what you like about his English skills, but he always responds to that chant – whether he understands it or not.
‘He’s always having a lot of impact when he comes in,’ said Slot on Nunez. ‘Brings energy and power. Most of our games, the first hour is often open but the last 30 minutes (we are) dominant. Then to have someone like Darwin is nice to have.
‘I was very pleased with our performance. Brentford made it a fight. They have good players and a good game plan. It was a nice game (for me) to watch, like every time Liverpool are on the pitch.’
For 91 long minutes, that ‘nice game to watch’ statement felt wrong. Not for Slot or the Liverpool fans anyway. An expected goal (xG) of 3.40, 37 shots, a huge 15 corners – the league leaders huffed and puffed but could not breach Brentford’s red and white wall.
Credit must go to Thomas Frank’s men, who also had chances to nick a winner at the other end and would have done if Mikkel Damsgaard and Yoane Wissa packed their shooting boots, but ultimately no one could have said they were worthy of the point they so nearly gained.
A valiant display nonetheless and Frank said: ‘We just played Manchester City, Arsenal and now Liverpool in a short amount of time. Liverpool are a level above the two. They’re complete. It’s the best team in the Premier League and the world. They’re huge favourites to win it.’
Red-hot midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard missed a glorious chance for Brentford to take the lead
Dominik Szoboszlai was a threat for the visitors and had two efforts on goal within a minute
Arne Slot’s side had huffed and puffed at the red and white wall but found no way through before Nunez’s arrival
Thomas Frank’s side put in an inspired performance to keep the leaders out for 90 minutes
Despite Liverpool’s constant threat Bryan Mbeumo was a thorn in the Reds’ side on the counter
Wise words from one of the wisest men in football, who admitted the result was fair. It was, though if we listed every chance they had this piece would fill the whole paper – but particularly gilt-edged opportunities were squandered by Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo.
Nunez then skied that aforementioned effort into row Z but was soon popping up in the box to get on the end of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross. Within a second, off came the shirt, the away end sent into delirium, any signs of a dented title bid dashed.
With his next touch, it was two and, knowing what we know about Nunez, the only surprise is that he did not take his shirt off again and get sent off in the process. He could have been forgiven if he did, after producing a title-defining moment for Liverpool.
