Chris Sutton has explained there’s one Liverpool player in particular who he can’t take his eyes off when watching him play.
Despite describing Darwin Nunez as ‘an all action guy’ and someone who ‘puts himself about’ – the former Premier League striker believes the Uruguayan’s finishing ‘isn’t good enough’.
The former Benfica forward was one of a number of Liverpool players to miss absolute sitters against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday as the Reds fell to a 1-0 defeat which further dented their title hopes.
Jurgen Klopp’s side now find themselves third in the league table, behind Arsenal on goal difference and two points adrift of current champions Manchester City, with six games to play.
“The player I’d single out is Darwin Nunez,” Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live (via Rousing The Kop). “You can’t take your eyes off him when he plays he is an all action guy. He puts himself about, he’s willing, players bounce off him. He’s so, so watchable but his finishing isn’t good enough.
“In moments like that, Liverpool have a ridiculous amount of points from losing positions. Their powers of recovery have been monumental, astonishing at times.
“But he had a golden opportunity against Palace, he has to score it. He doesn’t take it and that is the difference.”
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Liverpool have earned a whopping 27 points from losing positions so far this term – the best in the top flight.
We can’t continue to fall behind in games however, and a slow start against Palace on Sunday cost us massively as we fell further behind in the Premier League title race.
Nunez’s numbers so far this term, 18 goals and 13 assists in 47 games (across all competitions), are impressive but the number of huge chances that he misses is a huge concern.
Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota also missed sitters at the weekend but it’s our No.9 who is doing so week in and week out and it’s starting to cost us.
His work rate and effort is second to none but if he and the rest of his teammates don’t find their shooting boots again in the coming weeks it could be a very disappointing end to the campaign.