Darwin Nunez is keeping his feet on the ground despite Liverpool's sizable advantage over Arsenal in the Premier League.
The forward bagged his first home league goal since November in Liverpool's 3-1 triumph against Southampton on Saturday. After conceding to the league's bottom side in the opening half, the league leaders responded after the interval, with the 25-year-old firing in the leveller and then earning a spot-kick, which Mohamed Salah converted.
Salah notched his second penalty of the match towards the end, extending Liverpool's lead to 16 points above the north Londoners, though it was reduced to 15 following Arsenal's 1-1 stalemate with Manchester United on Sunday. Despite a challenging season, netting only seven times across competitions, Nunez made a significant contribution against the Saints but emphasised that the title contest is far from decided.
In his post-match discussion with TNTSportsMex, Liverpool's number nine shunned any premature talk of clinching the league and urged his colleagues to sustain their momentum. "We need to keep going; this isn't over yet," insisted Nunez.
He reminded everyone that many challenges still lie ahead and stressed the importance of continued hard work due to the demanding nature of the Premier League, reports the Liverpool Echo. Despite only starting eight league matches this campaign, the Uruguayan forward has developed a strong rapport with Mohamed Salah since joining Liverpool in 2022.
After Salah's double helped him match Sergio Aguero's tally of 184 Premier League goals, Nunez lauded the Egyptian's influence. "He has an incredible mentality," he said of Salah. "When you arrive at the club, you see him there before everyone else, working hard. I always try to watch and learn from him. He is an example for many.
Liverpool beat Southampton 3-1 on Saturday
Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah have struck up a fruitful relationship on the pitch (Image: Getty Images)
"Sometimes we joke with him; I tell him he doesn't give me a good pass and we laugh about it in the dressing room. But he's an incredible person and, well, I don't need to say anything about what kind of player he is because everyone already knows his great quality."
Salah returned the praise, acknowledging Nunez's contribution to the squad amid this season's scrutiny. "He is a very important player for us," the top scorer in the league stated. "I'm always there talking to him. He is very important, we need him. And you saw him also in the last game against PSG, he was very important when he came in, making a difference."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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