Virgil van Dijk was relieved to see Darwin Nunez dig him out of a red card hole during a dramatic 2-1 win for Liverpool at Newcastle.
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Reds fell behind at St James' ParkDutch defender sent offStriker stepped off bench to bag a braceWHAT HAPPENED?
The Reds appeared to have shot themselves in the foot at St James’ Park when going a goal and a man down inside 28 minutes. A costly error from Trent Alexander-Arnold led to Anthony Gordon breaking the deadlock. Van Dijk was then dismissed for a reckless challenge on Alexander Isak.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Said dismissal was the first of the Dutchman’s time at Liverpool, and he did not take kindly to being sent for an early bath as he aimed a volley of foul-mouthed abuse in the direction of the match officials. His blushes were, however, to be spared by Uruguayan frontman Nunez.
AND WHAT'S MORE
The South American was introduced off the bench in the 77th minute and restored parity four minutes later. Nunez then netted a 93rd-minute winner for the 10-man Reds – much to the delight of Van Dijk, who was waiting for him in the dressing room with a “come on” roar at the final whistle.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Liverpool remain unbeaten un 2023-24 as a result of their late show on Tyneside, with seven points from three games enough to see them sit fourth in the table. Klopp’s men – with Van Dijk now serving a suspension – will be back in action on Sunday when playing host to Aston Villa.