Liverpool beat Girona 1-0 in Spain to all but seal their qualification to the next round of the UEFA Champions League. The Reds needed a fortuitous penalty call that Mohamed Salah converted to maintain their 100% record in the competition.
Liverpool were not at their imperious best but did just enough to see off their opponents. The Premier League table-toppers had their chances but squandered them – Darwin Nunez being the usual culprit.
Nunez spurned two great chances to give Liverpool the lead and delivered a frustrating performance. He lost possession five times and won only one of the four duels he contested while failing to complete his only dribble attempted.
The club has been patient enough with Nunez. He is a flop who should be shipped off this January for a more competent centre-forward. His hard graft when leading the line has been praised but his wastefulness is frustrating.
Liverpool needed their €100 million striker to stick the ball into the back of the net to help them relieve the pressure but his profligacy almost cost the Reds.
Former Premier League defender Stephen Warnock noted the Uruguayan’s frustration when he came off. “No surprise Darwin Nunez looks very frustrated as he is going off but he can have no complaints,” Warnock said (viathe BBC).
“He hasn’t been at his best tonight and his link-up play he has struggled with. Another frustrating evening for a big Liverpool player.”
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There is no one else for Nunez to blame for his poor goalscoring form. He was compared to Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson last season but this term, the Senegalese international attacker has made clear improvements.
Even when Jackson delivered a shoddy performance against Tottenham Hotspur in their last game, the fans supported him, noting the improvement he has made.
As for Nunez, he has been given all the grace in the world to improve but he still doesn’t move the needle and it is time for Liverpool to cut ties.
Liverpool should explore the possibility of sellingNunez in the January transfer window to invest in a more reliable and clinical forward. His time at Anfield has come to an end.
The club must make tough decisions to ensure their continued success, and selling the underperforming striker could be a necessary step.