Jurgen Klopp has claimed that no other striker on the planet could do what Darwin Nunez did for Liverpool vs Leicester City tonight.
The boss was looking back on Nunez’s piece of play that led to Wout Faes second own goal of the night at Anfield. Although obviously disappointed that the striker couldn’t finish the chance off, Klopp praised his ability to fashion it in the first place.
“Today you saw already a massive improvement [from Nunez]. He had a similar situation in the last game, getting close to the goalie, tonight he chipped the ball over the goalie,” the Reds manager told Viaplay Fotball after tonight’s 2-1 win.
“It would have fitted the situation if it goes to the post and out but this time he was a bit more lucky with that. But I can’t see a lot of strikers who could have that chance even, because the speed is insane in these moments. And then the pass to Mo in the second half is absolutely exceptional.”
Darwin just missing the finishing touches
Nunez really is something else. His speed truly is frightening. And Jurgen is absolutely right, it was all down to the Uruguayan that the chance that led to the own goal was even possible.
Latching onto an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain flick, Darwin still had it all to do. But burning past the Leicester defender, there only ever looked like being one winner.
Within seconds he was one-on-one with Danny Ward. To be fair to Ward, he closed off Nunez’s angles pretty well. In the end, the only place that he could have scored was the one he aimed for.
As it has been over the past week, Nunez’s radar was just a little off though. But as Klopp points out, he’s getting closer. This time luck was on his side as Faes sliced the rebound into the top corner.
There was hope that that could have been a platform to build on for Darwin for the rest of the game. And, in a way, it was.
But there were still a couple of missed opportunities in the second half. His ball for a chance that Salah put wide was indeed brilliant, but he skied a very presentable opening not long after it, too.
So, all in all, exciting but frustrating times for Nunez and for the Liverpool fans watching him.
He is showing signs of being a really, really big player for the club. If he could just start sticking the ball in the net again, that would be wonderful.
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