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Liverpool FC Supporters Club

arwin Nunez’s Notable Reaction in the Aftermath of Liverpool’s 97th-Minute VAR Drama

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Liverpool fans couldn’t help but notice the blatant disregard exhibited by Darwin Nunez towards referee Georgi Kabakov following the disallowance of his team’s dramatic 97th-minute equalizer by VAR.

Jurgen Klopp’s side encountered their first setback in this season’s Europa League, suffering a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Ligue One side Toulouse on Thursday night.

Liverpool found themselves in a 3-1 deficit after Aron Donnum, Thijs Dallinga, and Frank Magri orchestrated a dazzling performance at the Stadium de Toulouse. The Reds managed to pull one back when Cristian Casseres Jr inadvertently netted an own goal, making it 2-1. A brilliant solo effort from Diogo Jota, coupled with Magri’s strike, set the stage for a frenzied finish.

In the dying moments of the match, Liverpool appeared to have secured a crucial equalizer when young talent Jarell Quansah calmly slotted home. However, VAR intervened, disallowing the goal due to Alexis Mac Allister’s perceived accidental handball in the build-up.

Liverpool’s frustration was palpable, particularly given the considerable distance between the handball incident and the eventual goal. Klopp, visibly incensed, vented his displeasure at the referee as he stormed onto the pitch after the final whistle.

But Nunez, who had previously missed an open goal in the reverse fixture against Toulouse, demonstrated little patience for the match official’s presence.

The enigmatic Uruguayan striker entered the fray as a substitute in the second half when Liverpool unleashed their heavy artillery. Video footage circulating online captured Nunez seemingly declining a handshake with the match referee and withdrawing his hand when approached by the goal scorer, Magri. Nunez’s actions further endeared him to Liverpool supporters.

Following the game, Klopp, who had his press conference interrupted by chanting fans, expressed his dissenting opinion about the handball decision.

He stated, “I only saw the video back now and for me it’s not a handball, but how can I decide that? The ball goes to the chest and then I don’t see a contact with the arm, to be honest. Maybe they had a different picture than I had. It was pretty long ago before we scored the goal, and I thought, ‘Where is the free-kick?’ I didn’t see it properly, but I heard there could have been a penalty for us in another situation, I don’t know.”

Liverpool is set to return to action on Sunday when they welcome Brentford to Anfield.