Darwin Nunez has been struggling in front of goal, and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp called him “unlucky” in an attempt to explain.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Nunez, who entered the game as a substitute in the 56th minute, was instrumental in setting up Curtis Jones’ equalizer after Willian had given the Cottagers the lead in the 19th. In the 2-1 victory over Fulham at Anfield on Wednesday, he also assisted Cody Gapko in scoring the game’s winning goal, however he was unsuccessful in scoring throughout the encounter. Despite Nunez’s dismal scoring history, Klopp did not penalize him, emphasizing instead that he chooses players based on their overall effort and behavior as well as their ability to score goals.
WHAT JURGEN KLOPP SAID
After the game, Klopp told reporters, “I have to say that he plays outstanding.” His game is one of my favorites in a lot of ways. He scored sporadically throughout his first year while he adjusted, but these days he has an impact in every game. The boys don’t start based on whether they score or not. As long as they behave appropriately, my belief and faith in them are boundless. Given the work they made, they truly deserve it.
“I have no idea how to describe the Darwin circumstance. Darwin’s response and attitude towards the circumstance make me very delighted, yet at these final moments, it is impossible to be more unlucky. Even though he accomplishes everything perfectly, the ball does not enter. He then proceeds to put up the other objective. It is quite unique, in my opinion, to repeat that.
......THE BIGGER PICTURENunez had a few good opportunities to score, but Bernd Leno stopped him, which prolonged his goal drought. His poor performance in front of goal is shown by the fact that he has only scored once in the previous 16 games. He does, however, have the most assists of any Liverpool player this season with 10 in all competitions.WHAT NEXT?Even though Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are sidelined, Klopp is still optimistic that the players that are available can produce even in the face of difficulty.Klopp continued, “Normally, we have more players available, but the boys who came on already obviously have real quality.”His next Premier League test is away to Bournemouth on Sunday, followed by a trip to Craven Cottage for the second leg of the EFL Cup semifinal on January 24 against Fulham.