For many fans, the Uruguayan striker is performing not commensurate with the money that Liverpool spend. However, the parameters have shown that Nunez has made outstanding contributions to the overall play of the Anfield team.
Overall, 5 goals and 3 assists after 12 matches is an acceptable number for a young striker who has just played his first season in the Premier League. However, the £85 million price tag and the fact that the person who is considered a yardstick to compare with Nunez is Erling Haaland is showing destructive form, causing the media to underestimate the 23-year-old’s ability to play.
Right from the moment he arrived at Liverpool, Nunez gave Anfield fans a range of emotions, from scoring against Manchester City in the Community Shield match or a precious goal in the opening round against Fulham until the disastrous red card when The Reds took on Crystal Palace at home. Finally, the most discussed issue by fans is the question of whether the money Liverpool have to spend is worth the contribution of the Uruguayan striker.
Nunez’s performance in round 17 when Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Villa Park gave the Liverpudlians the most realistic answer. Many fans commented that number 27 was the best player on the Reds side when he was active on the offensive front. On the other hand, with 4 good chances missed, he was scored 5.7 points by Sofascore – the lowest in the match. Those are almost the two bright and dark areas that Nunez has shown throughout the first half of the season and even the last 2022 World Cup.
“His potential is unbelievable. At Nunez, I saw a fast forward with a professional attitude. He always radiates limitless energy when playing and can absolutely develop further, ”Jurgen Klopp candidly when speaking about the player. Although unable to turn opportunities into goals like Erling Haaland, what is the reason why the German coach is so “infatuated” with Nunez?
With a scouting team consisting of the best members of the football world, the risk of the Darwin Nunez deal was completely taken into account by Liverpool. Similar to the case of Diogo Jota or Luis Diaz, The Reds have always preferred to recruit players who do not develop through the academy route – which makes scouts think they are strikers with enough desire. to reach success. In Nunez, we can easily see the silhouette of a persistent engine in every step and a player with formidable physicality. According to data from the English Premier League, the number 27 is also one of the two names that surpass Haaland in the speed race. Specifically, with 36.53 km / h, the Liverpool striker is only behind Anthony Gordon with a speed of 36.61 km / h.
Speaking to Sky Sports, coach David Balia – Nunez’s former teacher at Almeria shared: “He can maintain incredible speed for long distances and that is very beneficial for counter-attacks. You can absolutely drop a long ball to Nunez and he will beat every defender even if he runs one or two meters behind them.”
And guess what, which team in the Premier League is always famous for its sharp counter-attacks? None other than The Reds.
Up to the present time of the season, Nunez ranks 3rd in the category of strikers with the most sprints per 90 minutes with 25.6 and tops the entire Liverpool team – an admirable contribution on the front. 27. “Nunez gives us depth in the game,” said Jurgen Klopp after the win over Aston Villa. Proof of that is the ability to move without the ball and find space behind the opposing defense of the 23-year-old striker that has opened up countless opportunities for the Anfield team. Nunez’s biggest problem right now, as every fan knows: finishing.
Opta pointed out that up to 12 considered delicious opportunities have been missed by the Uruguayan striker and no other player in the Premier League has established this sad achievement. In the decades-old history of the most exciting tournament on the planet, players with more than 150 shots in a single tournament have scored 20 or more goals. The three players with the most shots last season are also on the list of the top four shooters in the league, so the relationship between the two is very clear. Currently, Nunez is ranked first in the list of strikers with the most shots per 90 minutes with 5.84 shots. However, the question that should be asked without looking at the goal stats is how does Nunez have so many scoring opportunities?
Shooting skills are important, but that is not the prerequisite for a good striker. One way to illustrate this is the conversion rate of the players with the most chances in the Premier League over the past decade. Harry Kane has the best conversion rate but only scores 53% from opportunities. If Kane’s 259 good chances fell to the feet of Raheem Sterling – a player with a 45% conversion rate and considered a poor striker in finishing, Chelsea’s 17 would have scored only 116 goals. and 21 goals behind Kane.
The problem here lies in the fact that although Tottenham’s No 10 did not take advantage of most of the opportunities, Kane is still considered a top striker due to his spatial acumen to become the end point of every phase. ball. Statistics don’t lie, and that’s why Liverpool fans should be optimistic about Nunez’s numbers. Nunez’s predecessor and compatriot Luis Suarez also had a rough time at Anfield when he was questioned about his ability and played below expectations for 18 months. However, the rest is history.
While the expected goal stat remained stable for 90 minutes, Suarez scored 23 and 31 goals respectively in the second and third seasons, thereby booting the Premier League Golden Shoe and the European Golden Shoe.
Liverpool in general and Klopp in particular were ready from the very beginning to accept the reality of Nunez’s case. “I have seen many situations like Nunez and then the strikers will be fine. He will score again, I have no doubt about that,” the 55-year-old coach said optimistically.
