Darwin Nunez delivered a stunning late brace as Liverpool edged Brentford 2-0 in a dramatic Premier League clash on Saturday, reigniting their title charge after a challenging run of form.
The Reds were in danger of being held to a third consecutive league draw at the Gtech Community Stadium despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances. However, Nunez, who has struggled for consistency since joining Liverpool, emerged as the unlikely hero with two stoppage-time goals.
The victory pushed Liverpool seven points clear at the top of the table, with Arsenal having the chance to reduce the gap to four points in their late game against Aston Villa. Crucially, Liverpool hold a game in hand, keeping the title firmly within their control.
Manager Arne Slot, who recently expressed frustration at his inability to unlock Nunez’s potential, will now be encouraged by the Uruguayan striker’s decisive performance. Prior to this game, Nunez had scored just four goals in 26 appearances this season.
Liverpool’s win ended a difficult start to the year, which included just one victory in four matches across all competitions and a narrow 1-0 League Cup semi-final first-leg loss to Tottenham.
Brentford, with the Premier League’s joint-best home record, looked poised to frustrate the visitors once more, as they had done against Manchester City earlier in the week with a late 2-2 draw.
Mikkel Damsgaard and Bryan Mbeumo tested Liverpool’s defence early, but Alisson Becker’s heroics in goal kept the hosts at bay. Meanwhile, Mark Flekken’s impressive saves, including a stunning stop against Dominik Szoboszlai’s 25-yard effort, denied Liverpool a breakthrough for much of the game.
Liverpool squandered several chances, with Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, and Trent Alexander-Arnold narrowly missing opportunities. As the clock ticked into stoppage time, frustration mounted for the Reds.
In the dying moments, Alexander-Arnold’s pinpoint cross found Nunez, who calmly slotted home from close range to break the deadlock. Moments later, Harvey Elliott set up Nunez for his second, a powerful strike past Flekken that sealed the victory and sparked jubilant celebrations on the Liverpool bench.
The late heroics from Nunez mark a potential turning point for the striker and provide Liverpool with renewed momentum in their pursuit of their first league title since 2020.
