A video was posted online this week showing Darwin Nunez learning some English phrases from a young fan, in exchange for the Liverpool star teaching the boy how to pronounce some Spanish words.
And it seems Nunez's English lessons have now given him the chapter on swear words and Liverpool strikers from the 2012 era. 'You're just as*** Andy Carroll' is the joke opposition fans often chanted at him – and last night he took it personally.
Less than a second after Southampton supporters taunted the Uruguayan striker for giving the ball away, he drove away in celebration after opening the scoring. Nunez, who always seemed to be playing the role of pantomime villain, put his ear to them and gave it big in return.
Whether he understands sarcasm or not is another matter, with Nunez waving at the away wave as they taunted Southampton with their own rendition of the chant after their number 9 set a makeshift Liverpool team on their way to another Carabao semi-final Cup.
The reigning champions had made eight changes from Saturday's draw against Fulham, but goals from Nunez and Harvey Elliott, on his first start of the season, helped them beat managerless Southampton despite their attempts to settle in the second half to collect.
Arne Slot sat up in the press box after receiving three yellow cards this season. He cut a relaxed figure, without headphones or a direct line of communication to the sidelines, and sat next to analyst Roderick van der Ham, who recently joined from Feyenoord.
For the first twenty minutes of the match, the pair might as well have tuned the laptop in front of them to a warming Christmas movie. For assistant boss Sipke Hulshoff, on the sidelines, there was nothing to talk about as torrential rain made it a soggy affair.
With the rain coming down threateningly, Slot and Co would have been happy to have left the backbone of their team at home. Captain Virgil van Dijk and top scorer Mohamed Salah stayed in the north while Ryan Gravenberch, Alisson, Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai also skipped this long journey.
However, Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced to travel due to a defensive availability crisis. And it was the stand-in captain who scored the first goal out of nowhere. It started when he faced his own goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher as two Saints attackers charged towards him.
He shuffled past one, sent the other past him with a lurch and before Southampton knew it, Alexander-Arnold was out of trouble and played a defensive pass to Nunez. The only thing standing between Nunez and a goal was Alex McCarthy.
Considering the Uruguayan forward is currently out of form, having scored just three goals all season before this match, scoring this easy chance was certainly not a formality. But he confidently fired the ball into the bottom corner before taunting the home fans behind the goal.
Eight minutes later there were two. And this was a goal reminiscent of Sunday, when Tottenham surged on this ground and cut through the Southampton defense like a hot knife through butter to lead 5-0 at half-time.
With youth coach Simon Rusk in the dugout after Russell Martin was eventually sacked in the wake of that embarrassment, the Saints hierarchy will have noted that the new manager may have to be a magician to solve this poor defense.
Cody Gakpo jogged on and picked out Elliott, unmarked in the penalty area, allowing the youngster to score on his first start of the season. It could have been three not long afterwards as Liverpool broke through again but Alexis Mac Allister was denied by McCarthy.
It felt like it could have been another gripping night for Southampton, but whatever Rusk said at the break saw them come into the second half a renewed team. Suddenly they were causing trouble and limiting the danger on the other side.
They got a goal back in the 59th minute when Cameron Archer cut inside from the left channel and curled a rasping finish into the far corner.
And the striker could have scored a minute later, but was denied by a smart reflex save from Kelleher after a shot from close range.
Although Slot felt comfortable in the first half, he was probably feeling quite agitated at this point. There is a Premier League title to win – and who knows, perhaps a seventh European Cup – so this trophy is by no means a priority, but he will still want to win it.
Slot's XI looked even more improvised after the break, with the back four consisting of midfielder Tyler Morton, out-of-favour Jarell Quansah and Wataru Endo, plus half-fit Kostas Tsimikas on his first appearance in a few weeks. .
On the other side were a number of teenagers.
Saints' presence grew stronger towards the end and it felt like Liverpool were hanging on as substitute Paul Onuachu saw a shot blocked by the great Japanese captain Endo and Quansah beat Mateus Fernandes as the last man was back. Perhaps he luckily escaped punishment.
And so, just like last season in the final of this competition, Liverpool's group of young players and fringe stars gave everything to win.
It was far from pretty, but in the end the job was done – and Slot is now just two tires away from his first piece of silverware on these shores.
SOUTHAMPTON (5-3-2): McCarthy 7; Harwood-Bellis 6, Wood 5, Bednarek 5 (Brereton Diaz 84); Bree 5 (Sugawara 60, 6), Aribo 6 (Lallana 84), Downes 6 (Sulemana 73, 6), Fernandes 6, Manning 6; Dibling 7, Sagittarius 7 (Onuachu 73, 6).
Subs not used: Lumley, Edwards, Fraser, Amo-Ameyaw.
Booked: Downes.
Scorers: Sagittarius 59.
Administrator: Simon Rusk 7.
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Kelleher 7; Alexander-Arnold 7 (Chiesa 46, 6), Quansah 7, ENDO 7.5, Gomez 6 (Tsimikas 46, 6); Morton 6.5, Mac Allister 6 (McConnell 63, 6); Elliott 7, Nyoni 6.5 (Danns 86), Gakpo 7 (Jota 62, 6); Nunez 7.
Subs not used: Jaros, Nallo, Norris, Ngumoha.
Booked: Elliott.
Scorers: Nunez 24, Elliott 32.
Administrator: Arne Slot 7.
Referee: Simon Hooper 7.
Attendance: 26,503.
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