SUMMARY
- Jurgen Klopp warned Nottingham Forest fans against provoking Darwin Nunez after they sang derogatory songs about him.
- Darwin Nunez secured a dramatic last-minute victory for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest.
After Darwin Nunez’s game-winning goal against Nottingham Forest on March 2, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp jokingly cautioned the opposition fans against winding him up. The Reds defeated Forest on the road by a slim 1-0 score to guarantee that they will finish this weekend leading the Premier League rankings.
The Forest faithful sang songs upon the Uruguayan’s introduction, calling him a “sh*t Andy Carroll.” When asked about this following the game, Klopp responded that the supporters shouldn’t have infuriated the 24-year-old, saying: “I would not sing a song like that. I would not try to wind Darwin up.”
Jurgen Klopp on the ‘shit Andy Carroll’ song: “I would not sing a song like that. I would not try to wind Darwin up.”
— David Lynch (@dmlynchlfc) March 2, 2024
Nunez did not play in the Carabao Cup final, which saw Liverpool defeat Chelsea. He was also injured and missed Southampton’s FA Cup fifth-round victory. Jurgen Klopp started the Uruguayan striker on the bench for the encounter against Forest after he had recovered sufficiently to play.
Darwin Nunez clinches dramatic last-winner against Forest, leads furious reactions
With a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, injury-plagued Liverpool went four points clear atop the Premier League standings. Darwin Nunez headed in the game’s winner in the 99th minute. Injuries in recent weeks have strained Liverpool’s resources to breaking point as they aim to win a quadruple in Jurgen Klopp’s last season.
Once more, the Reds were without several prominent players, like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, and Mohamed Salah. With Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai returning as second-half substitutes, there was, nonetheless, some hope.
Darwin Nunez scored @LFC’s latest Premier League winning goal on record (2006-07 onwards) ⌛️#NFOLIV | @Darwinn99 pic.twitter.com/mMFjoxXl0O
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 2, 2024
On the contrary, after 25 games this 2023-24 season, Darwin Nunez has already tallied 10 goals and seven assists in the Premier League. With 38 games played across all competitions, he has tallied 14 goals and 11 assists for the season, averaging one every 88 minutes.
Darwin Nunez’s winner sends the Nottingham Forest owner into a meltdown
After Darwin Nunez’s late winner at the City Ground, enraged Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis reportedly confronted referee Paul Tierney in the tunnel, requiring security to restrain him. He said, “Respect the players! Respect the players! This happens every week! Respect the players!”
🚨💣 Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis reportedly had to be restrained by security after confronting referee Paul Tierney down the tunnel following Liverpool’s late winner at the City Ground. [@MirrorFootball] pic.twitter.com/OZKw9NiCO9
— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) March 3, 2024
Darwin Nunez, a substitute, scored in the ninth minute of extra time. At least eight minutes had been allowed to give the Reds a commanding three-point lead in the title battle and deflect one point from their relegation-threatened opponents.
Due to Ibrahima Konate’s head injury, Tierney had earlier halted play while Forest was attacking, and Forest was furious. Nunez knocked home an Alexis Mac Allister cross as Liverpool advanced up the pitch and eventually took the lead as he resumed with an unopposed drop ball. This resulted in a furious exchange between the Forest staff and the referees.