Michail Antonio says Jurgen Klopp shouldn’t have dropped 24-year-old Liverpool player last weekend

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Almost a week on and Liverpool are still dealing with the fallout from their damaging loss against Arsenal.

It was a chastening defeat for the Reds, who simply never got going at the Emirates. Robbed of a couple of key players just ahead of the game, those coming in never really stood up to be counted.

One of those who Liverpool had to make do without was Darwin Nunez. Jurgen Klopp had reported a couple of days before the match that Nunez was a doubt having suffered a swollen foot against Chelsea. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old did emerge on the bench for Sunday’s big game.

And having been fit enough for the squad, Michail Antonio has told the Footballer’s Football Podcast that Nunez should have started the game.

“Do I feel the wheels are falling off the Liverpool bandwagon?” queried the West Ham United player. “I wouldn’t say they were falling off. They had a bad game, they didn’t look like they were going to score, I feel like how Arsenal set up and played them they did well, they got their tactics right.

“I feel Nunez should have been playing as they went long quite a bit in the game, Nunez has that presence of being up there. But I wouldn’t say the bandwagon is falling off, Liverpool are in with a shout.”

Liverpool rue Nunez absence

For once, every Liverpool fan would probably agree with Antonio here. The 33-year-old has seemingly been on a personal crusade against the Reds at times this season. But he’s right on this one.

What Antonio does fail to address is that fact that Nunez wasn’t completely fit. Had the Uruguayan not have picked up a knock four days previously, he would definitely have started.

And had he started, you can’t help but feel that Liverpool would have stood a better chance.

A front three of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo is still a very decent looking forward line on paper. But for whatever reason it never quite worked.

Gakpo in particular struggled to make his mark on the game and you’d imagine he’d be the one to make way tomorrow against Burnley.

Unless we hear anything different from Klopp in his press conference today, Nunez should be fit and ready to go again.

With Mohamed Salah still continuing his own recovery from injury, Darwin is carrying the bulk of Liverpool’s threat right now. Arsenal legend Ian Wright claimed after Sunday that he’d been terrified of the Reds’ No.9 before the game. He really is a nuisance.

Unfortunately though, Darwin does seem to pick up these little niggles from time to time which just halt his rhythm. In terms of timing, this last one was a bit of a stinker.

Nevertheless, there’s no use going over and over Sunday’s defeat. Tomorrow represents a chance to finally get back on track. With Nunez back in the side, Liverpool will stand a much better likelihood of doing so.