Forward Darwin Nunez scored the decisive goal, securing a 2-1 victory for Liverpool in their away match against Bournemouth in the English League Cup round 16 on November 1.
Liverpool took the lead against Bournemouth but were pegged back early in the second half due to playing against the wind. When they seemed to be struggling, Jurgen Klopp’s team found the deciding goal when Nunez dribbled from the wing and fired a shot into the far corner from outside the penalty area, earning them a ticket to the next round.
Liverpool’s starting lineup featured eight changes compared to their recent match against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, while Bournemouth made just two changes in the wing-back positions. However, the likes of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Dominic Szoboszlai were sufficient to help Liverpool control the game in the first half.
The influence of Storm Ciaran caused strong winds during the match at Vitality on November 1. In each half, the team with the wind at their back produced twice as many shots as their opponents. Liverpool had the advantage in the first half, as Gakpo capitalized on a chaotic situation in the penalty area to open the scoring. It was the Dutch forward’s fourth goal in seven games, bringing Liverpool’s scoring streak to 25.
Corner kicks from Bournemouth in the second half were aided by the wind, directing them straight towards Liverpool’s goal. In one such situation, Justin Kluivert equalized with a shot in the 64th minute. Then, Joe Gomez had to react quickly to make a crucial save as the ball from another corner kick was heading straight for the post.
Liverpool endured consecutive attempts on goal from Alex Scott, Dominic Solanke, and Semenyo in the second half before Nunez’s shining moment sealed the game. Receiving the ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Uruguayan forward dribbled from the wing into the center and unleashed a shot, overcoming both the wind and goalkeeper Andrei Radu.
The 2-1 victory sends Liverpool into the top eight teams and keeps their hopes alive for a 10th League Cup title. This weekend, they will be away to Luton before traveling to France to face Toulouse in the Europa League next midweek.
Starting Lineups:
Bournemouth: Radu; Smith, Mepham, Zabarnyi, Kerkez; Scott (Moore 81), Billing (Tavernier 61); Semenyo (Brooks 74), Christie, Kluivert (Traore 74); Solanke.
Liverpool: Kelleher; Gomez, Matip, Quansah, Tsimikas; Elliott (Nunez 60), Endo (Alexander-Arnold 60), Jones (Mac Allister 60); Szoboszlai (Gravenberch 76), Salah, Gakpo (Jota 81)
