It was the Darwin Nunez show at Anfield on Saturday afternoon as Southampton were swept aside in Nathan Jones' first game at the helm.
Boasting a two-goal lead at the break, which the Reds were able to preserve after the interval, Liverpool had one player in particular to thank for three points being secured with relative ease at the weekend.
Indeed, Nunez once again made a mockery of those criticising his style of play and ability to slot into a Jurgen Klopp system by bagging a brace. Operating on the left flank throughout the game, while taking up central positions when required, proved pivotal in his first goal of the match as he controlled a Harvey Elliott ball beside the penalty spot before slotting past Gavin Bazunu.
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The second scored by the Uruguayan was more of a ruthless finish, sliding in at the front post to meet a low Andy Robertson cross. In doing so, the 23-year-old continued his growing relationship with the Scottish full-back having been assisted by the former Hull City defender on two previous occasions heading into the Southampton showdown.
By occupying the left flank during matches, Robertson is proving to be a useful supply line for the towering striker despite the language barrier that seemingly exists between the pair. After watching Nunez spurn a glorious opportunity in last month's Champions League win over Ajax, only to later set up his team-mate from a corner to head home, the left-back revealed his attempts to inspire the South American star may well have fallen on deaf ears.
"Darwin was in at half-time, really angry and disappointed at himself for missing that chance. I sit next to him in the changing room and I'm not sure if he understood a word I said but I said 'I will put a cross on your head and you will score'. Maybe we need to say that more often," he explained to BT Sport.
Early signs that this connection could prove deadly for Liverpool were even on show during the Reds' first official fixture of the 2022/23 season, which saw Manchester City suffer a 3-1 defeat in the Community Shield. Victory was sealed late on in this match through Nunez officially announce himself to supporters of the club with a late header to take the game out of City's reach. Providing the ammunition for this opportunity was Robertson, whose ball from the left found the ex-Benfica man inside the area to help deliver a knockout blow to Pep Guardiola's side.
By setting up two of Liverpool's goals in their final top-flight fixture before the World Cup break, Robertson has now moved level with Everton icon Leighton Baines for assists provided by a defender in the Premier League era (53) - a statistic which offers encouragement that further expert deliveries will be forthcoming for Nunez to attack in the months ahead.
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