Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has claimed that nobody can be more unlucky than Darwin Nunez when it comes to finishing.
The Reds beat Fulham 2-1 last night in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. Núñez played a leading role as a substitute, but once back he failed to find the back of the net.
Liverpool conceded the opener at Anfield after Willian deserved Virgil van Dijk’s rare mistake.
The Reds weren’t at all wonderful in the first half, but they stepped up after the break. The arrival of Darwin Nunez made them incredibly damaging and helped get them back into the game.
The 24-year-old assisted on goals from Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo in a span of 3 minutes. He caused all sorts of disarray for Fulham, but in doing so he also wasted some chances.
Núñez denied twice through Bernd Leno. He couldn’t have done much more with those opportunities, which is why Jurgen Klopp believes no other player in the world can be as unlucky as him.
The German said, as per Liverpool’s official website: “I don’t know how to explain the Darwin [Nunez] situation.
“I’m very pleased with our audience and how they’re taking it; I’m very pleased with Darwin’s reaction and how he’s taking it, but you can’t be more unfortunate than him in this final situation. It’s just not possible.
“Surely he does everything right and then the ball doesn’t pass. Then prepare the other pass. I think it’s really special to do it again. He did it for Mo [Salah] against West Ham, if I mean Good, and today for Cody. Super special.
Darwin Núñez has been the subject of many complaints over the past 18 months, and some of them are justified.
However, the one thing you can never question is his work ethic. The Uruguay international works tirelessly for his side every single game, and he really is a nightmare to defend against.
He did all the right things last night, and Klopp is right: he was very unlucky not to see the ball go into the back of the net. Liverpool enthusiasts just want to be a little more patient with him.
Núñez will have to continue. It’s much better than last season, and with a little more work on the educational field, there’s every chance he’ll explode for Liverpool.