Nunez Brace in Injury Time Seals Liverpool Victory at Brentford
Darwin Nunez strikes twice in stoppage time to extend Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League.
Darwin Nunez scored a dramatic injury-time brace to secure a 2-0 victory for Liverpool over Brentford, further solidifying their place at the top of the Premier League on Saturday.
With second-placed Arsenal set to face Aston Villa later, Liverpool's win stretched their lead to seven points, leaving them in a commanding position as the title race intensifies.
Nunez, who had been met with jeers from Brentford fans after coming on as a substitute in the 65th minute, made an immediate impact. In the first minute of added time, the Uruguayan striker latched onto a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold to open the scoring. Two minutes later, Nunez finished off a counterattack to seal the win for Liverpool, their first victory in three league matches.
The Reds had drawn with Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in their previous two league outings, and suffered a loss to Tottenham in the first leg of the English League Cup semifinals. Despite these setbacks, Liverpool has still only lost once in the league this season—a surprise defeat to Nottingham Forest in September.
Liverpool dominated Brentford, registering 37 shots throughout the match, but found their breakthrough in the dying moments of the game, with Nunez delivering when it mattered most.
Elsewhere, Justin Kluivert inspired Bournemouth to a stunning 4-1 victory at Newcastle, ending their nine-match winning streak across all competitions. Kluivert netted a second-half hat-trick, with Milos Kerkez adding a fourth in stoppage time. Bournemouth's performance saw them extend their unbeaten run to 11 games, climbing to sixth place in the standings and edging closer to a potential Champions League spot.
Newcastle, whose impressive run had propelled them into the top four, struggled without key contributions from striker Alexander Isak, who failed to extend his scoring streak.
At the bottom of the table, Leicester City suffered their seventh consecutive loss, a 2-0 defeat to Fulham, leaving manager Ruud van Nistelrooy under increasing pressure. Goals from Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traore handed Fulham the victory.
In another result, Crystal Palace triumphed 2-0 at West Ham, with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring both goals in the second half, including one from the penalty spot.