A Liverpool man has given a positive boost to the Reds and there are questionable signs he is now more important to the club’s success than Mohamed Salah.
A draw may not have changed the nature of Liverpool’s top four by much on Saturday afternoon, but the return of Darwin Núñez was very welcome after a spell without the Uruguayan international.
The centre-forward made an immediate difference when he was introduced against Chelsea, and amid the form Mohamed Salah has now seen with just one goal in six games, it may not be long before the torch is finally passed to a star who he will form an important part of the second generation of Jürgen Klopp’s offensive line.
And it looks like Liverpool’s $105m (£85m/€97m) transfer decision was right.
If you believe absence makes your heart grow fonder, it’s fair to suggest that Liverpool’s attack has been lacking during their brief spell without Núñez. The Reds recorded just 1.11 expected goals (xG) in their two games against Brighton and Wolves, with Harvey Elliott’s long-range strike being the only goal scored for Klopp’s side. Defenders looked more confident against an attacking Liverpool front without Núñez, while the lack of penetrations behind meant the ball was harder to grab for creative players.
Without Luis Díaz to isolate defenders with his dribbling skills, the Reds’ attack appear to have relied on Núñez this season – especially given the loss of form of a player unrivaled in attack last term.
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Having contributed to 36 goals in 35 Premier League games, Salah looks unable to shake off the dip in form that followed him towards the end of the 2021/22 season. There are still moments of magic, but they happen less now, as does the frequency with which he dribbles past defenders.
Sure, the Egypt international has struck 17 more times this season, but in games where Liverpool have struggled, it was Núñez who was most likely to turn things around. Although the torch hasn’t quite changed hands, there are signs that Núñez is grabbing it. And the Uruguayan might be in the best position to lead Liverpool once the new era begins.
With the possibility Salah and Roberto Firmino could have left Merseyside by the summer of 2025, a chapter in Klopp’s tenure will be closed. But while Diogo Jota and Díaz have done more than enough to solidify their places in the pages to come, it looks like Núñez will become Liverpool’s key player, as a star who could shape the forward line for the next decade.
That made his fitness crucial for the rest of the season, in an injury-plagued top-four contest that left Liverpool seven points behind at mid-season. Keep Núñez fit and there could be enough in the Reds’ avant-garde even without Jota and Díaz to see Jürgen Klopp’s side squeeze into the top four.