Darwin Nunez’s first season at Liverpool has been questioned, but is the criticism entirely justified?
When the fourth official’s electronic board was thrown into the air at Stamford Bridge with 11 minutes remaining on Tuesday night, it drew many puzzled looks from Liverpool fans in the away end and those watching at home.
Darwin Nunez’s premature departure from the forgettable goalless draw against Chelsea was perplexing for those who had regarded the Uruguayan as the Reds’ main goal threat in the second half.
It was later revealed that Liverpool were looking to manage the minutes of the Uruguay international following an ankle injury suffered in the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last month.
However, it was enough to spark further discussion about the 23-year-effectiveness old’s since joining from Benfica in a deal that could end up costing the Reds a club record £85 million.
One common observation is that Nunez has had a disappointing season, with 14 goals in 30 games.
Yes, Liverpool may have expected more for such a hefty sum. But Nunez wasn’t signed for a single season, and at the age of 23, having had to adjust to a new country, league, and language as part of a team that has suffered a significant drop in form this season, it’s not surprising he hasn’t reached the heights consistently.
But consider how many Premier League players have scored more goals than Nunez this season in all competitions. Erling Haaland of Manchester City, predictably, leads the way with 42 goals. Marcus Rashford of Manchester United follows on 28. Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane has 24, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has 23, and Brentford’s Ivan Toney has 18.
But that’s all there is to it. There are only five players. What does Nunez’s apparent struggle say about almost everyone else?
Surprisingly, 11 of those 14 goals have come in the forward’s 24 starts, along with three of his four assists. And two of the remaining three goals, as well as his other assist from the bench, came in his first two appearances, the Community Shield victory over Manchester City and the opening Premier League draw at Fulham.
While recurring injuries have slowed his progress at inopportune times, Nunez has only missed four games this season due to fitness issues. The other three absences were due to Nunez’s red card on his home debut against Crystal Palace, for which he has since apologized.
Only Haaland, Kane, Salah, Rashford, and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins have had more shots on target this season in the Premier League, and no player has averaged more shots overall whether on or off target – but converting them has been a different story.
It hasn’t helped that Nunez hasn’t had a consistent position, starting in the middle for the first half of the season before shifting to the left after the January arrival of Cody Gakpo. Despite this, his goals are evenly distributed between playing on the wing and leading the line.
And, as a result of adjusting to the unique demands of playing in England, he has only played the full 90 minutes seven times so far.
When compared to other prominent Liverpool forwards in recent years, Nunez’s first season stands out. Roberto Firmino had 11 goals in 49 games in 2015/16, Sadio Mane had 13 in 29 the following season, and Diogo Jota had 13 in 30 in 2020/21. In their second season, all three players scored more goals. Mohamed Salah’s 44 goals in 2017/18 remain an outlier, despite the fact that, with the exception of Firmino, he had previous experience playing in England.
Nunez is no stranger to first-season adaptation, having scored 14 goals in 44 games for Benfica when he first arrived in Portugal from Almeria in 2020/21. The following season, he scored 34 goals in 41 games, which prompted Liverpool to sign him last summer.
While Nunez is a different type of forward, he will be encouraged by the success of fellow Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez at Anfield, who scored 21 goals in 52 games in his first season and a half before breaking the 30-goal barrier in successive seasons.
“Obviously, I still have a lot of things to work on, such as my finishing.” “Nunez stated earlier this year. “But I believe I am experiencing the same thing as Suarez. He ripped it up in his second year.
“At Benfica, something similar happened to me. My first year was a disaster, and in the second, I blew up. I believe the same thing is happening here. I’m hoping for the same thing next season. I’ll put my best foot forward and hope for the best.”
Nunez has plenty of time to build momentum and hit the ground running next season with 10 games left in the regular season.
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