Darwin Nunez continues to shine for Liverpool with another match-winning goal
Liverpool's No. 9 has shown incredible growth from his debut season at Anfield
There were football fans around the world who wrote Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez off as a transfer failure at the end of the 2022-23 season. Despite scoring 14 goals in all competitions, Nunez’s inability to be Erling Haaland caused plenty of people to claim Liverpool should sell him in the summer transfer window and cut their losses like professional football should be treated like career mode on EAFC ‘24.
With one Premier League season under his belt, Nunez is now showing those people who called him a transfer bust that they were wrong. The striker has seven goals in 14 appearances for Liverpool following his brilliant match-winning goal on Wednesday night against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup last 16.
The Uruguay’s goal sent the Reds into the quarterfinals of the competition after a difficult game on the south coast in terrible weather conditions. Liverpool are the bookmakers’ favourite to lift the Carabao Cup thanks to that win, and the likes of Man United and Arsenal being knocked out of the tournament.
Nunez’s numbers after 14 appearances in 2023-24 are fantastic. He averages a goal every 96 minutes in all competitions. While not always first-choice due to the attacking talent and rotation system used by Jurgen Klopp this season, Nunez is making the most of his opportunities.
The striker’s goal against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup last 16 was the second time this campaign he came off the bench to score a match-winning goal.
Cast your mind back to August when Nunez came on for 10-man Liverpool in the 77th minute versus Newcastle United at St. James’ Park. In just 13 minutes of action, Nunez scored two nearly identical goals to lead Liverpool back from the brink of defeat to a 2-1 win. Had Liverpool lost to the Magpies, we wouldn’t be talking about them having a shot at winning the Premier League title in early November.
He has become the all action, all pressing forward the manager wanted. Nunez’s nonstop running and pressure has helped ease the problems on the defence. Liverpool’s best seasons under Klopp previously saw Roberto Firmino, the ultimate pressing machine, force teams into mistakes that were mopped up by the Anfielders’ defence. While not a like for like forward, Cody Gakpo is far more like Firmino, Nunez forces opposing defences into making mistakes with the ball.
In addition to improving his work-rate off the ball, Nunez has become a provider of goals. He has five assists already this season in all competitions, which equalled his total from last campaign. Liverpool’s match versus Everton at Anfield in October typified Nunez’s unselfish playing style.
With the Uruguayan bearing down on Jordan Pickford’s goal in the final minutes after Liverpool cleared an Everton corner, Nunez played a pinpoint pass to Mohamed Salah to curl home with his first touch. How many strikers would have taken the shot on themselves? There were certainly times last season when Nunez would have taken the shot, but his decision to pass the ball to a player in a better position showed his maturity.
Of course, Nunez’s shooting accuracy still draws criticism from pundits and rival fans. His miss of an open goal against Toulouse on matchday No. 3 of the Europa League saw plenty of people have a laugh at the striker’s expense. Yet, Nunez’s fantastic work to dribble past Toulouse’s players to get into a strong goalscoring position still allowed teammate Ryan Gravenberch to score the rebound.
According to Fbref, Nunez has an xG of 7.1 in all competitions and a real goals figure of 7.0. For all the criticism of Nunez’s finishing, his xG and real goals total show just how brilliant season No. 2 at Anfield is for the striker.
Only Salah has scored more goals for Liverpool this season but that is expected. Salah has 10 goals, three more than Nunez. Meanwhile, the deadly duo is tied for the most assists, with four apiece. Let us not forget that Klopp can also call upon Diogo Jota (six goals) Cody Gakpo (four goals), and Luis Diaz (three goals) to play in the front three.
Despite a rocky debut season at Anfield, Nunez is now showing football fans he is the real deal and a match-winner. Nunez could be a 20-goal scorer this season but playing in a team with four additional high-quality forwards could see him fall just short of the figure for now. Regardless, Nunez is showing fans exactly why Liverpool were desperate to add him to the squad in 2022.