Jurgen Klopp gave credit to Darwin Nunez after the frustrated striker came off the bench to score twice as 10-man Liverpool came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1 in a pulsating English Premier League clash.
The 24-year-old Uruguayan has been out of favor so far this season, but his late brace against the Magpies showcased the best of his qualities and he will get more chances, Klopp said.
"He was obviously fired up about not playing, not starting, and he put all the energy into those two shots ... it was a super-mature performance and two top-class goals," Klopp said as he reflected on what he described as one of the best wins of his career.
Victory keeps Liverpool two points behind leaders Manchester City and lays down an early-season marker after Newcastle usurped the Reds to secure Champions League football last season.
Liverpool went behind midway through the first half and then had captain Virgil van Dijk sent off for a foul on Alexander Isak.
Late in the match Klopp decided to have one last throw of the dice, and Nunez responded with two late goals to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
"It's early in the season, you need to find stability. We need to find a formation you need to get results," Klopp said.
"Definitely, a striker scores two goals and you can see he gets a smile on his face. But for the team, it was super-important that they got something like that, you need these kinds of things to grow together."
Back-to-back one-goal defeats to City and Liverpool will leave Newcastle playing catch-up in the league, and manager Eddie Howe said it will be a challenge to pick his players up again. "We should have put the game to bed and that is probably the thing we are all kicking ourselves with," Howe said.
Elsewhere, City extended their perfect start to the season as Rodri sealed a dramatic 2-1 win against Sheffield United after Erling Haaland scored once and missed a penalty for the champions.
City were in danger of squandering the points when Jayden Bogle equalized with just five minutes left.
City boss Pep Guardiola watched on television while he recuperates after back surgery, but he was in constant contact with his assistant Juanma Lillo.
A late brace by Darwin Nunez fires Liverpool past Newcastle. REUTERS
