Nunez double secures Liverpool win against Southampton Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Darwin Nunez signed off for the World Cup in style by scoring twice in Liverpool’s 3-1 win against Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Uruguay international took his season’s total to nine goals in all competitions, which is one more than Sadio Mane at the same stage last year.

Nunez’s strikes underlined his growing influence on Liverpool, with seven goals in his last 10 appearances.

It also ensured Jurgen Klopp’s team headed into the Premier League’s break for the World Cup in high spirits after such an uncertain start to the season.

Back-to-back league wins against Tottenham and Southampton will lift the mood around Anfield after losing four times already.

With qualification to the round of 16 of the Champions League also secured, it means Liverpool can look ahead to the resumption of the campaign in December with some optimism.

A title challenge may already look beyond Klopp’s team but the German will see green shoots of hope, not least in the form of his major summer acquisition, Nunez.

The former Benfica forward was signed for an initial fee of $78 million to replace Mane, who joined Bayern Munich.

That figure could rise as high as $104 million.

But despite coming in with such a large price tag, Nunez had looked far from the finished article, while Mane’s absence has been felt.

Nunez’s double against Southampton will be so encouraging for Klopp, who served a touchline ban following his outburst against Manchester City last month. And the fact that Nunez has surpassed Mane’s goal output at the same point last year may also feel significant for the player.

Roberto Firmino had put Liverpool in front with a header in the sixth minute before Che Adams quickly equalized in the ninth.

From there, Nunez took center stage.

He volleyed past Gavin Bazunu in the 21st after Harvey Elliott’s cross, and then converted Andy Robertson’s cross three minutes before halftime to ensure the three points and defeat for new Southampton manager Nathan Jones in his first game in charge.

Over at City Ground in Nottingham: Nottingham Forest moved off the bottom of the standings heading into the break for the World Cup by beating Crystal Palace 1-0.

Morgan Gibbs-White continued to show why Forest broke its transfer record to sign him in the summer as his 54th-minute goal earned the win that sees the team move to within a point of safety.

Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward, right, saves a shot from West Ham United’s Craig Dawson. (James Manning/PA via AP).

At the London Stadium, in London: James Maddison scored his seventh Premier League goal of the season before the England midfielder was forced off through injury ahead of the World Cup as Leicester won 2-0 at West Ham on Saturday.

Patson Daka provided the assist and Maddison struck from close range to put in-form Leicester in front after eight minutes.

Maddison, however, fell to the ground in the 22nd and was holding the back of his right leg when medical staff came on to the field to treat him.

The Leicester player was then consoled by West Ham’s Declan Rice, who is also in England’s squad for Qatar, as he was replaced by Dennis Praet.

Leicester had a chance to stretch their lead when they were awarded a penalty after Daka was fouled by Craig Dawson, but Youri Tielemans’ spot kick was saved by West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

The visitors finally put the game beyond West Ham’s reach in the 78th when Ayoze Perez supplied a throughball for Harvey Barnes and he shot home left-footed from just outside the penalty area.

Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal. (AP Photo/David Cliff).

At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London: Rodrigo Bentancur struck twice late on as Tottenham came back from behind three times to beat Leeds.

A thrilling 4-3 win in the Premier League may have seen Spurs manager Antonio Conte avoid uncomfortable questions heading into the World Cup — but it required a late rescue act from Bentancur.

The Uruguay midfielder leveled to make it 3-3 in the 81st minute before hitting the winner two minutes later.

It meant Rodrigo’s double and Crysencio Summerville’s opener for Leeds counted for nothing after Spurs’ fightback.

Conte has endured a difficult period as the World Cup has approached, with recent home losses for Tottenham to Liverpool and Newcastle, and exiting the League Cup in midweek at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

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