AFC Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola was left to rue an ‘amazing’ Darwin Nunez goal as the Liverpool striker fires Jurgen Klopp’s side into the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup.
Has any moment summed up Darwin Nunez’s Liverpool career more succinctly than this? A first touch so loose it drew jeers from the home support, and then a finish so wicked, so fearsome, it sent the travelling Reds fans into raptures just seconds later.
Clumsy and cumbersome one moment, dynamic and devastating the next. Darwin Nunez, ladies and gentlemen.
“We probably deserved more. The players deserved more. We had our chances, and we were creating a lot of chances in the second half. Liverpool were struggling,” Iraola reflects, Bournemouth pushing for a winner before the Uruguayan grabbed the tie by the scruff of the neck with 20 minutes to go.
“But it’s true that Darwin made the difference with a huge strike. A very good goal. And they (Liverpool) are the ones who are in the next round.
“There’s not a lot we can do with those type of goals. He struck the ball amazingly.”
Darwin Nunez fires Liverpool past Bournemouth
Nunez now has seven goals and five assists in 12 appearances so far this season. And the nature of his game – all perpetual motion and relentless enthusiasm – means he always poses a threat, even if the former Benfica striker still has more rough edges than a rusty chainsaw.
“If you can do that, that’s really good,” Klopp beamed after Nunez cut inside and whipped a 25-yard screamer into the Bournemouth net. “Outstanding. I just enjoyed the goal.”
Liverpool will now face a West Ham side who knocked out Arsenal on Wednesday night in the quarter-finals, the last eight fixtures taking place a week before Christmas.
Liverpool 90 mins away from EFL Cup semi-finals
“A top, top, top cup game. It’s all about winning, it’s all about getting through,” Klopp adds, Liverpool surviving a scare after Justin Kluivert cancelled out Cody Gakpo’s opener on the South Coast.
“There were good things today. First half, we could have scored more goals, we didn’t. We scored our second goal, a wonderful goal (from Nunez) and then we fought extremely hard. We had good moments but it is all about attitude in these moments. Both teams wanted it, everybody can expect that from the home team, but I saw my team as well.
“How hard we really wanted it. I am really happy about that.”
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