Post-match analysis: Darwin Nunez revives his career as he fires Liverpool 6 points clear at the top

Darwin Núñez’s cameo gave Liverpool a late win against Brentford. (Image credits - FMT, License Details)

Liverpool’s intense clash with Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium went right down to the wire. Both sides failed to break the deadlock until the 90th minute, before Darwin Núñez’s sensational cameo secured a 2-0 win for the visitors.

With their late win over Brentford, followed by Arsenal's draw against Aston Villa, Liverpool are now 6 points clear at the top while having a game in hand. 

Last night's win also meant that the Reds are only the 3rd team this season to win against Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium, signifying the great challenge of playing against the Bees at their home ground. 

Liverpool’s fiery yet wasteful attack

The Liverpool side looked absolutely unstoppable in attack. Creativity and chances-wise, this was one of the best games for them, in a season where they already have produced some brilliant attacking displays.

According to the data provided by SofaScore, the Reds attempted a staggering, 37 shots, with only 7 of them being on target, while also recording an xG of 3.43. Out of these 37 shots, 28 of them came from inside the box, which shows how dominant Arne Slot's men were. 

The midfield trio, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold, had a great impact on the game. It was definitely a much-needed performance for Trent, who had a tremendous game. The right-back, who was seen in a more attacking and central role, ended up providing an assist to Núñez, while also creating 2 big chances and attempting 4 shots on goal.

However, despite the dominance, they were very wasteful with their chances. Even with a total of 37 shots, and 7 of them being on target, they managed to score just 2 goals, and that too post the 90th minute mark. 

While the front 3, comprising Salah, Diaz, and Gakpo, experienced a good game, they failed to convert their chances and break the deadlock. This was mainly because of the roadblock that was created by Thomas Frank’s team.

Thomas Frank takes a page from Nuno’s book

Like Nottingham Forest, Brentford also opted for a similar gameplan, allowing the Liverpool players to come deep into their half, and creating a roadblock for their attackers to deprive them from having clear-cut chances. 

The Brentford midfielders positioned themselves just in front of their defensive line, forcing the Reds to play more out wide from the wings, which disrupted Arne Slot’s typical style of play to play more from the central areas of the pitch.

Brentford also troubled Slot's side with their electric counterattacks, which appears to be the most effective way to put pressure on this formidable Liverpool side. The Bees also had many opportunities to break the deadlock as they attempted a total of 11 shots, drawing 6 crucial saves from Liverpool’s no. 1. 

Brentford also troubled Slot's side with their electric counterattacks, which appears to be the most effective way to put pressure on this formidable Liverpool side. The Bees also had many opportunities to break the deadlock as they attempted a total of 11 shots, drawing 6 crucial saves from Liverpool’s no. 1. 

Núñez has potentially secured the title for Liverpool 

It was the Darwin Núñez show that stole every headline from yesterday’s game as he fired Liverpool 6 points clear at the top, potentially securing the title for them.

In a crucial, must-win game, where the Reds desperately needed a spark, the Uruguayan came off the bench and unleashed chaos. Núñez won the game for his team by scoring his first goal in the 90+1st minute, just 2 minutes before he scored his second one at the 90+3rd minute, sealing the deal for the Reds.

With his two goals post the 90th minute mark, Darwin Núñez has created history by becoming the player with the most number of 90+ match-winning goals scored away from home in the entire Premier League history. 

It was a much-needed performance for the striker, whose future at Anfield was starting to get surrounded by clouds of doubt. With clubs such as AC Milan and Al-Hilal looking to make a move in order to sign Núñez, along with his failed impact at Liverpool, it was being assumed that the Uruguayan’s time with the Reds might have been up.

However, with his tremendous, match-winning performance yesterday, Núñez has potentially silenced the critics and cleared all the doubts regarding his future with Liverpool, at least for now.