Darwin Nunez and Arne Slot thankful for decisive moment and Liverpool's second chance

After his key role in Harvey Elliott's winner against PSG in midweek, Darwin Nunez helped put Southampton to the sword at Anfield on Saturday, playing a big part in the Reds' comeback win

Having rather harshly called him out for his attitude and effort recently, perhaps Arne Slot - sat high in the stands - thought he owed Darwin Nunez a favour.

Perhaps he thought hooking the Uruguayan striker at half-time would have added a grievous insult to the injury his criticism caused. But in truth, few people inside Anfield would have been surprised if Nunez had not appeared for the second half of this contest.

Had referee Lewis Smith - or Matt Donohue, on VAR - decided that the Nunez chase of Kyle Walker-Peters and subsequent, premeditated kick at the Southampton full-back been worthy of a red card, Liverpool would have been reduced to ten men just before the interval and just after Will Smallbone had opened the scoring for the visitors.

Officiating-wise, it was a decisive moment in the match, and it was not the only one of those that favoured the champions-elect. The 31-year-old - who hails from Wigan, 20 miles away from Anfield - was taking charge of a Liverpool game for the first time in his blossoming career.

And it is fair to say Slot will not be ******g blaming Smith if Liverpool do not win the title.

Slot, though, might be congratulating himself for sticking with Nunez when the striker appeared to have lost the plot.

The Liverpool manager’s decision turned out to be a stroke of genius. In the space of three or four early second half minutes, Nunez had tucked away a neat equaliser - after great assistance from Luis Diaz - and drawn a soft penalty out of Smallbone and the rookie referee in front of the Kop.

Mohamed Salah obliged from the penalty spot - a trick he would repeat after Yukinari Sugawara’s late handball - and Liverpool’s procession towards the title carried on uninterrupted.

In the end, against doomed Southampton, they did what they had to do but, for 45 minutes, it was not straightforward.

There cannot have been many observers inside and outside Anfield who saw this fixture as little more than a formality to be dealt with before the serious business of the Champions League resumes on Tuesday night.

And if anything, Slot’s minimal rotation was something of a surprise and perhaps also signalled the Liverpool manager’s slight reservations about some members of his squad.

Does he have complete faith in players such as Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo and Jarell Quansah? Maybe not.

Elliott must have been particularly irked not to get a start after his winning impact against PSG in France. But he was one of three changes Slot actually did make at the break and acquitted himself well in Liverpool’s dominant second half.

And while Saints fans might point to the leniency of the officials in dealing with the Nunez foul on Walker-Peters, Liverpool might well have staged a winning comeback with ten men.

They were far more vibrant after the alterations and Diaz, in particular, was a constant threat, particularly in the left-sided attacking channels. While Salah added to his stats, it was Diaz who caught the eye. As did Nunez before Slot sent down the message to withdraw him from the fray midway through the second half.

The ovation for the striker was suitably thunderous, part of it perhaps for his very classy assist for the Elliott winner in the Parc des Princes.

This was his first start in the Premier League since Boxing Day and, more than likely, he will return to the bench for the return leg against PSG.

But 25-year-old Nunez is an angry young man with plenty of points to prove, particularly after that Slot criticism.

And if he keeps his head - like he did in Paris but didn’t in that first-half moment here - Nunez might yet be a key player in Liverpool’s quest for triumph at home and in Europe.

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