Liverpool progressed through to the next round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday as they came out 2-1 winners against fellow Premier League side Bournemouth.

Goals from Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, either side of an equaliser from Justin Kluivert, sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Jurgen Klopp's side have now won four games on the bounce and central defender Joel Matip played a crucial role with his performance at the back.

Matip's performance against Bournemouth in numbers

The experienced battler was drafted into the XI to partner with young Jarell Quansah and produced a fine display in defence to keep Bournemouth at bay for the majority of the match.

In possession, the former Schalke titan showcased his composure and ability with a pass completion rate of 92%, which included three of his four long pass attempts, and created one chance for the team.

However, it was off the ball that Matip displayed his best qualities as the 32-year-old colossus won 100% of his physical contests (4/4) and made four interceptions and one block.

These statistics show that the central defender was virtually faultless defensively as he did not allow Bournemouth to get the better of him, by dribbling past or winning a duel, throughout his 90 minutes on the pitch.

Despite his impressive showing, Nunez was Klopp's saviour on the night as the substitute came on and provided the spark that was needed to secure the victory.

Nunez's performance against Bournemouth in numbers

The Uruguay international came on with 30 minutes to play but that was all he needed to make a significant impact on the match as he put the tie to bed.

In that half an hour, the former Benfica superstar completed two dribbles, won five of his nine duels, and created a chance for one of his teammates.

That alone was an impressive contribution for 30 minutes of action, as the energetic forward showcased his directness and physicality at the top end of the pitch.

However, the 6 foot 2 maverick capped it off with a stunning goal in the 70th minute to make it 2-1 to Liverpool, which ultimately proved to be the winning strike.

The goal summed Nunez up as his initially poor piece of play, in failing to control the ball, was redeemed by the subsequent finish that was bent over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net from range after the Cherries defender afforded him far too much time to pick his spot.

Journalist Josh Williams described the goal as the forward going "full Suarez", in reference to the former Liverpool star's terrific goal at Carrow Road against Norwich - one of many.

Suarez was mocked by the home crowd for missing a huge opportunity in front of goal before robbing the centre-back from the subsequent goal kick and beautifully stroking the ball into the bottom corner with the outside of his foot.

Nunez produced a similar moment of genius after being jeered by the Bournemouth fans for his poor control from Trent Alexander-Arnold's sublime pass.

His stunning strike was the match-winning moment for Liverpool and his all-round energy and positivity off the bench was the catalyst for Klopp's side coming away with the win, which is why he was the saviour over Matip.