Darwin Nunez could hardly keep his emotions in check by the time he finished his celebration. And all things considered, it was no surprise. After the Uruguayan was resigned to a bit-part role in the early weeks of the Arne Slot era - tallying just 82 minutes of action across four substitute appearances - his third, and undoubtedly most important, campaign at Anfield took off in usual headline-grabbing fashion on Saturday afternoon.
As has become a common affair since he arrived in a £64m deal from Benfica two years ago, Nunez's performance at the weekend - good, bad or indifferent - was guaranteed to have a significant bearing on how Sunday's sports pages up and down the country would look. READ MORE: Trent Alexander-Arnold admits 'harsh' talks with Arne Slot as new Liverpool target emerges READ MORE: Liverpool could field an entirely different team against West Ham United in the Carabao Cup Perhaps, then, the idea of each of his outings in a red shirt receiving abnormal levels of scrutiny explains why he cut such an emotional figure after unleashing a spectacular left-footed curling effort past Bournemouth's Kepa Arrizabalaga. From Nunez's point of view, this, his first audition for a starting place in Slot's starting XI, was just how he would have dreamt it.
Indeed, there was plenty to like about the Uruguayan's performance before he was replaced in the 72nd minute, as he exhibited a mature understanding of what is required of Liverpool's No.9, both in and out of possessi.