Liverpool struggled on their way to an unconvincing 1-0 win over Girona on Tuesday night.
The Reds needed a slightly dubious second-half penalty from Mohamed Salah to get the better of a spirited Girona side.
There were below-par performances across the pitch for Liverpool, who were perhaps fortunate to come away with another three points in the Champions League.
The Reds were thankful to Alisson Becker, who made a string of excellent saves on his return from injury.
Others in the Liverpool squad did not play quite as well, with Darwin Nunez yet again looking like a fish out of water leading the line.
Nunez was substituted for Cody Gakpo with 20 minutes to go having failed to offer anything much to the Liverpool attack.
(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Darwin Nunez of Liverpool interacts with teammate Cody Gakpo, as he is substituted during the UEFA Champions L...
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Darwin Nunez reacts to Liverpool substitution
In reality, Nunez could easily have been subbed off earlier than Arne Slot ultimately decided.
However, after the game it was revealed that Slot wanted to keep Nunez on in order to give him the best chance of getting a confidence-boosting goal.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
In the end that never really looked like happening, though, and Gakpo was more of a threat during his much shorter time on the pitch.
It marked another poor turn for the Uruguayan in a season littered with them. Stephen Warnock said Nunez was ‘disappointing‘ against Girona, and the general consensus is not far different from that.
READ MORE: Luis Garcia pinpoints what is ‘missing’ with Darwin Nunez’s game after watching him for Liverpool against Girona
And according to The Athletic, the player himself did not look too surprised at being taken off.
They report that ‘Nunez’s head dropped’ as he realised he was being subbed, before he ‘trudged’ over to embrace Gakpo. Darwin was then given a ‘consoling pat’ by Slot as he made his way to the bench.
Time almost up for Darwin Nunez
The problem with Nunez is not necessarily that he is no longer scoring goals frequently. Throughout his Liverpool career he has hardly ever looked like becoming prolific.
The issue is more that simple things like short passes and link-up play with his fellow forwards is now going completely amiss.
Appearances Goals Assists
2022/23 42 15 4
2023/24 54 18 13
2024/25 19 3 2
Darwin Nunez at Liverpool
It could easily be a confidence thing, in which case perhaps Nunez can still return to his best.
But the worry for Liverpool supporters is that this is simply a quality problem. Nunez has talent, we’ve all seen that, but too many times his touch, his pass, his finish is left wanting.
Every fan will still be hoping that Darwin can turn the tide and save his Liverpool career, but it’s really starting to feel like it just isn’t going to happen.
Related Posts