Darwin Nunez didn’t score for Liverpool against West Ham United – despite 5 goals. He still managed to show exactly how good he is.
Darwin Nunez has come under a bit of fire in recent games for not finishing chances. And really, that’s probably right – he hasn’t scored for Liverpool since November 1st against Bournemouth. That’s an 11-game run without finding the net.
The worst of it came against Manchester United as Liverpool struggled to score as a whole. Nunez, as the no.9, caught the brunt of the slack.
And so you’d imagine that would get worse as Nunez played the entire 90 minutes against West Ham and still didn’t score. Instead, he put in an elite performance that helped tear the Hammers apart.
First and foremost, Nunez was on a mission to win the ball back. He recorded 5 tackles – more than any other player on the pitch, and has 8 Duels Won. The Uruguayan is usually pretty fantastic at winning the ball back as an attack but it’s usually around once per game.
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This was on a whole other level and Nunez showed just how dangerous he can be to teams even without Liverpool having possession.
Then there was the creativity. Nunez created four chances against West Ham which was another match-high, albeit tied with three other Liverpool players.
This is the joint-most Nunez has created in a game for Liverpool. The other time? Sunday against Manchester United. That suggests that even without the goals, he is finding a better connection with his teammates.
One of those chances did become a goal, too. Nunez played a wonderful pass in behind for Curtis Jones, who finished from a remarkable angle to make it 2-0.
This dry period in front of the net could prove to be Nunez’s undoing if helping is something he can improve upon. After all, the goals will come back; his record elsewhere is just too strong to suggest otherwise. Early in the season, everyone observed his consistency in front of goal.
However, Liverpool might ultimately acquire a player who is far more of an all-around threat. That was made clear by the match against West Ham, and Nunez’s performance in the upcoming months might really change everything.
