Stop doubting Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez and don't compare him to Erling Haaland

Uruguayan's two stunning goals against Newcastle handed Liverpool an unlikely three points

When Liverpool paid a club-record transfer fee of £64 million (£85m with add-ons) for Darwin Nunez in the summer of 2022, it made sense that football fans and the media compared him to Erling Haaland.

Haaland had just joined Manchester City for £52m from Borussia Dortmund. The two strikers were joining the two best teams in the Premier League at the time. Both clubs had just finished off an epic title battle in 2021-22, with Manchester City edging Liverpool by one point, as the campaign went down to the final day of the season.

Nunez arrived with a bang from Benfica. There, he scored 48 goals in 85 matches. Thirty-four of those goals were scored in 2021-22, as Benfica reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League, losing out to Liverpool.

Having seen Nunez up close, Liverpool turned their attention to signing the Uruguayan despite the rawness in his game. But it was raw talent that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp harnessed in players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Diogo Jota, helping them become world-class goalscorers.

Nunez was another player full of potential in the Liverpool squad, capable of pulling off majestic goalscoring displays and infuriating misses. He scored on his debut in the FA Community Shield, helping Liverpool win the trophy, 3-1, against Manchester City. His goal in second-half stoppage time sealed the win, while Haaland struggled to make an impact on the match.

Expectations for Nunez were through the roof following the Community Shield win. There were likely some people expecting Haaland to be a bust and Nunez to become an instant star following the traditional Premier League curtain-raiser.

Months later, football fans declared Nunez to be the bust and one of the worst signings in Liverpool history. Although fans at matches still sang his name and appreciated his work rate.

At 23, many people had given up on the Uruguayan despite him starting the 2022-23 campaign with a goal and assist against Fulham at Craven Cottage. A sending-off against Crystal Palace in Liverpool’s second match was a low point, as Nunez missed the next three games, returning in early September to play against Everton.

Although goals were sporadic in his first season at Anfield, Nunez still found the back of the net 15 times in all competitions. He added four assists, playing a total of 42 matches. But with just nine of those 15 goals coming in the Premier League, the claims of Nunez being a bust became louder, especially with Haaland scoring 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City.

While Haaland enjoyed playing as a central striker throughout the campaign under Pep Guardiola, Klopp experimented with Nunez, playing on the left side of a front three. The manager wanted to get the most out of Nunez’s pace, something that was electric. His speed and quickness made him a handful for defenders and capable of hustling, hurrying, and putting opposing players under pressure. It was those types of attributes, those metrics without the ball, that made Nunez an important part of the team even when he wasn’t scoring.

In the 29 matches Nunez appeared in during the 2022-23 Premier League season, Liverpool went unbeaten in 24 of them. He didn’t play a significant role in all 24 of those fixtures but was still part of a team that picked up points.

Nunez scored a goal or tallied an assist in nine games in the Premier League. Liverpool lost just one of those nine matches. The only game in which Nunez scored and Liverpool lost was away to Arsenal in October. While the striker didn’t score as many goals as was expected, those goals and assists were vital to Liverpool’s performances.

Nunez would have had more goals in the days before VAR. The striker had multiple goals ruled out for being offside or a foul being committed in the buildup to the goal.

The striker’s Premier League xG was 14.37, showing he didn’t finish his chances when they came. Nunez’s accuracy was indeed off for much of the season. Often, the striker’s shots were pulled wide. He averaged a goal every 157.7 minutes.

Nunez’s goals against Newcastle United on Sunday are his trademark. Running in from the right and smashing the ball first time from the goalkeeper’s left to right is how Nunez has risen to be one of the most exciting strikers in the world today. He doesn’t have the finishing quality of Haaland, but Sunday’s two goals against Newcastle United showed that he worked on his craft in the offseason.

Klopp hasn’t started Nunez this season, rather the manager has preferred either Cody Gakpo or Diogo Jota. The former plays very similar to Roberto Firmino, a player Klopp loved. Meanwhile, Jota’s finishing has made him more likely to start matches than Nunez. The player depth in attack Klopp had on Sunday was fantastic, with Jota, Nunez, and Harvey Elliott all coming on late in the game. The trio, along with Salah, helped turn the tide and mount an unlikely comeback with just 10 men.

Nunez has played just 27 minutes in 2023-24, coming on as a substitute in all three league matches. His xG is 0.39 compared to 2.0 real goals, and he averages a goal every 13.5 minutes.

After last season’s lack of goals in the league, Nunez isn’t guaranteed playing time. Klopp has even admitted the striker isn’t happy with his lack of playing time this season. Gakpo’s lack of goals likely doesn’t help Nunez feel any happier, especially with the Dutchman starting all three league matches.

There are rumours of Salah leaving Liverpool before the Saudi Pro League transfer window closes. Liverpool are not interested in selling their star player, a forward who scored 19 times last term, the fourth most goals in the league.

Salah’s pinpoint pass set up Nunez’s second goal and the game-winner. If Salah were to leave, which is unlikely, then Nunez would become even more critical in the Liverpool attack this season.

While the Reds won’t play Champions League football this term, they will still embark on a Europa League campaign. Nunez will be an essential part of that journey, as Klopp will likely rotate the side heavily when playing in Europe.

Sunday’s come-from-behind win over Newcastle shows that Liverpool are still light in certain areas. The defence needs to be added to, and there should be fears over Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister playing too many minutes.

The attack, on the other hand, looks great, especially when Klopp can call upon Jota and Nunez off the bench. But with the Uruguayan saving the day, he has earned a starting position against Aston Villa for round No. 4. He has also earned some respect from the fans who doubted him previously.