Darwin Nunez was needlessly moved to the top of the Premier League following Liverpool’s win over Crystal Palace and has clear weaknesses that need to be addressed. Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday but it was a disappointing day for striker Darwin Nunes.
Accustomed to plenty of opportunities, he failed to find a clear target at Selhurst Park. A dead ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold almost fell to him a couple of times, but he hung awkwardly and missed the goal.
They are now eight games without a goal at club level, a drought that will inevitably reignite the criticism that silenced Nunes. In fact, he was on the sidelines for most of the game in south London. He touched the ball just 19 times, the fewest of any Premier League game he has started this season, and completed just two passes since the start of the second half. This was partly a reflection of Liverpool’s dysfunctional attacking play, which failed to string together the kind of attack that would break down Palace’s low block, but it no doubt contributed to Nunes’ dismissal in the 74th minute.Perhaps the stat that best sums up his afternoon is that he had more offsides (three) than tackles (two).
Núñez was sent off a season-high three times in last weekend’s 4-3 win over Fulham, where he also equalised. Only once in his Liverpool career – five times in last season’s 3-2 defeat at Arsenal – has he produced a remarkable performance.
He has drawn the linesman’s flag 11 times this season, more than any other Premier League player. This is not just a problem for the 2023/24 season. In his debut season, he finished just outside the league’s top ten (17th) despite playing less than 50% of the league’s available minutes. The Uruguayan is widely respected for his moves that create unparalleled opportunities. That’s a big part of why he takes more shots per 90 minutes (4.64) than anyone else in the league, and many believe that’s a reason to root for Nunes despite his lack of success. But Nunez’s greatest strengths also have weaknesses. This is its runtime. If you go too early, you’re essentially acting as an extra defender for your opponent. Because in the age of VAR, all your attacking contributions mean nothing. As we saw on Saturday, an over-enthusiastic Nunes is often the cause of promising goals failing.
Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff are in no doubt about how often the 24-year-old has featured on the pitch in recent games and throughout his Liverpool career. If you haven’t already, you should take the time to work on it at the practice site.
