Liverpool player ratings vs Bournemouth: Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez stake claims for starting No.9 spot as youngsters Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah catch the eye in Carabao Cup victory
The Reds booked their place in the last eight thanks to clinical finishing from their forwards
Darwin Nunez came to Liverpool's rescue with a lovely strike to secure a 2-1 Carabao Cup victory against Bournemouth, sending the Reds into the quarter-finals. Jurgen Klopp's team made it four wins in a row in all competitions, but it was far from an easy one for the visitors as Bournemouth fought hard and put them under plenty of pressure, particularly in the second half.
After Cody Gakpo capitalised on a rebound to nudge in the opening goal from close range, the Cherries refused to give up and gave goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher a hard time throughout the 90 minutes. He pulled off five saves in the windy conditions but struggled to deal with a second-half corner, allowing Justin Kluivert to equalise with a simple header at the back post.
Substitute Darwin put the Merseyside club back in the driving seat, though, with a stunning curling effort after recovering from his shocking first touch with 20 minutes to go. Klopp's much-changed starting XI included the likes of Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott and Joel Matip, who all looked good throughout the match, while Mohamed Salah had a quiet night overall.
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