Maybe it’s easier said than done for Liverpool, but the current league leaders are looking for Darwin Nunez to show anything resembling top-class form. Arne Slot is doing well in his first campaign in charge. However, the continued missed chances from the forward are beyond frustrating. Furthermore, the once seemingly insurmountable lead appears to be anything but as February comes to a close.
Final Straw at Villa Park
Fans and players alike reacted to the forward’s poor performance during the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. Notably, the 25-year-old missed a sitter. His strike skied into the stands after receiving a perfect pass in stride from Dominik Szoboszlai. Emiliano Martínez was well beaten and not even in the picture.
But this moment encapsulated more than another simple missed opportunity. Instead, it shows what this Liverpool team is missing up top and how dangerously close they are to losing the current title race to Arsenal. Liverpool could have left Birmingham with an 11-point lead. But now Arsenal have a chance to pull within five, seeing as they have currently played one fewer match.
The difference between scoring the go-ahead goal and settling for a shared point can quickly come back to haunt Arne Slot’s side.
A Common Theme for Nunez
The blunder around the 68th minute stood out. But this was another game where Nunez plainly showed a lack of Premier League-worthy play. Roughly ten minutes later, the Uruguayan striker found himself with the ball at the top of the box, thanks to Mo Salah. However, his next pass went straight out of bounds for a run by Szoboszlai that was far from taking form. This saw another chance with numbers going without coming close to striking the back of the net.
Between those moments and him outright dribbling the ball out of play, it’s beyond redeemable in the eyes of a lot of fans. In fact, according to the Sky Sports Premier League X account, Darwin Nunez has missed one goal per game. At 0.99 ‘big chances missed’ since the 2022/2023 season, he’s the clear-cut leader in squandering good goal-scoring opportunities.
Liverpool is currently in the lead, but many acknowledge that this is due to Salah’s brilliance.
Nunez Needs to Improve Now, or Risk Being Transferred
But the club cannot continue to over-rely on the magic of the world’s most in-form player. Nunez needs to find his good form now; otherwise, it would be irresponsible for Slot to start him. Furthermore, Liverpool would need to get what they can for him and move on from him altogether.
There’s a reason why Nunez is on the squad in the first place, and Arne Slot is now forced to offer not-so-subtle advice for the forward in press conferences. Long story short, attacking players must finish the golden chances when they fall into the EPL.
Defenders and keepers are too good in the Prem. Furthermore, points become too much of a rare commodity. This is especially true when wins slip away like that. Darwin Nunez knows this and knows better than anyone that his current level of play is unacceptable. It’s now up to him to reward Liverpool’s patience as he works through his continued struggles.
