Liverpool's 2-0 win could hardly have been clinched any later, with Nunez — the oft-derided Uruguay striker — scoring in the first and third minutes of added-on time on Saturday to ensure the leaders avoided a third straight draw.
Playing a couple of hours later at home and looking to restore the four-point gap, second-placed Arsenal took a 2-0 lead through Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz but ended up drawing 2-2, with Ollie Watkins grabbing the equaliser to hurt the title chances of the team he grew up supporting.
Ollie Watkins snatches an equaliser for Aston Villa against Arsenal, the club he supported. (AP PHOTO)
Liverpool moved into a six-point lead and still have a game in hand on Arsenal.
Nunez was taunted by Brentford's fans when he went on as sub in the 65th minute, but though he wasted a big chance, he then turned home a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold to give Liverpool the lead.
He also finished off a counter-attack two minutes later to secure a first victory in three league games for Liverpool amid a jittery spell for the leaders.
But Arne Slot's men have still only lost only one league game all season, at home to Forest in September, and they were rewarded for their patience as they racked up 37 shots against Brentford, eventually scoring with their final two.
Arsenal couldn't hold on against Villa without injured defensive lynchpin William Saliba. It was the first time since 2019 they'd failed to win at home in the league when two goals clear, with Youri Tielemans and then Watkins converting crosses that might otherwise have been cleared by Saliba.
Bournemouth's Justin Kluivert grabbed the match ball after his hat-trick against Newcastle. (AP PHOTO)
Elsewhere, Justin Kluivert scored his second hat-trick of the season in the league to inspire Bournemouth to a 4-1 win at Newcastle, whose nine-match winning run in all competitions came to an end emphatically.
The Dutch midfielder netted in the sixth, 44th and 92nd minutes at St James' Park, Milos Kerkez adding the fourth goal in the sixth minute of added-on time.
Bruno Guimaraes had earlier equalised for fourth-placed Newcastle, but they were undone by Kluivert, son of former Netherlands striker Patrick Kluivert.
Kluivert junior also scored three against Wolves in November, but on that day, they were all penalties. This time, they were all from open play.
Six of Newcastle's nine straight victories came in the league, helping to lift the Saudi-controlled team into the top-four in their bid to return to the Champions League.
But Newcastle striker Alexander Isak failed to score, having previously netted in eight league games in a row. That left him three games short of Leicester striker Jamie Vardy's record for the longest scoring run in the Premier League era.
Bournemouth extended their unbeaten run to 11 games, climbing to sixth, tied on points with fifth-placed Chelsea.
Next-to-last Leicester lost a seventh straight game in the league, 2-0 to Fulham, to pile the pressure on recently hired Dutch manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker, in only his second senior coaching role, has won just one of his nine league games in charge - the first against West Ham on December 3.
"We weren't good enough in all aspects," Van Nistelrooy said. "This is the first game I've felt like this."
Crystal Palace won at West Ham 2-0 thanks to two second-half goals by Jean-Philippe Mateta, the second from the penalty spot.
