Szoboszlai continued to pose a threat early in the second half but Liverpool carried on lacking a final ball and killer instinct as they were thwarted numerous times by their own former defender in Sepp van den Berg, who made several key blocks and clearances including one to deny Diaz.

In another era, in another kind of football, Darwin Núñez might be the type of unconventional striker who would be a cult hero at a smaller club, but at Liverpool in 2025, when the margins are so tight at the top of the Premier League and every player must earn his place,