Pressing Issues

His relentless energy and capacity for both moments of magic and madness makes Darwin Nunez one of the most entertaining figures in football.

There is no doubt of his abundance of talent, he is almost everything you want in a modern Premier League forward: fast, physical, hard working with great awareness and understanding of the game, all with a positive, coachable attitude. So why isn’t he considered among the best strikers in the world, and what can he do to get there?

The Undoubted Quality

Since signing for Liverpool in 2022, Nunez has continuously confused fans, spectators and pundits. His innate ability to get into great attacking positions, his power and strength and his all round talent make him electrifying to watch.

Over the past year, the Uruguayan ranks highly on numerous metrics in comparison to every other striker playing in European leagues.

Statistic	Output Per 90 Minutes	Percentile vs Strikers
Non-Penalty Expected Goals (xG)	0.65	Top 2%
Shots Taken	4.17	Top 4%
Expected Assists (xA)	0.19	Top 14%
Touches in Opposition Box	7.95	Top 5%
Progressive Passes Received	8.49	Top 8%

These figures are evidence that Nunez is integral to Liverpool’s attacking play, with his presence in both creation and finishing starting to become an important aspect of Arne Slot’s Reds.

In July 2024, prior to his first season at Anfield, Slot stated that “(Nunez) will fit really well into my playing style” and that the 25-year-old would be integral to his plans.

Nunez then didn’t start for Slot’s first 5 competitive games – but scored a left-footed beauty against Bournemouth as the Reds ran rampant at the Vitality Stadium.

He has continued chipping at moments where it matters, scoring the opener when Liverpool hosted Aston Villa, assisting Mohammed Salah’s equaliser at the Emirates, and scoring the sole goal in Liverpool’s Champions League visit to RB Leipzig.

Nunez’s involvement increased as a result of Diogo Jota becoming injured during October, but given Slot’s recent praise for the striker’s “effort” and fitness, Jota may find himself without a spot in the starting eleven if Nunez can continue his form.

Darwin’s Need to Evolve

Anyone who has watched Darwin Nunez will be aware of the slight elephant in the room when it comes to discussing his ceiling as a striker. This elephant can be summed up in one figure: -5.3. This is Nunez’s xG underperformance in the Premier League last season (established by subtracting a player’s xG over the course of a season from their total number of goals).

This -5.3 ranks second bottom for players in the Premier League. For perspective, players that could be considered ‘world-class’ would normally perform close to or exceed their xG figures for a season – Son Heung-Min has become widely recognised for exceeding his xG year on year.

The lack of clinical finishing has become synonymous with Nunez: he missed 27 big chances in the Premier League last season – 10 more than Mohammed Salah, with Nunez playing 500 less minutes.

Yet there is a positive spin that can be put on this. If Nunez can begin to perform at his xG, his output will increase dramatically. Of course, this is reliant on Nunez working hard and improving his finishing – but it’s something he is no doubt capable of doing, even if it takes a few years.

Nunez will likely be entering the peak years of his career over the next few seasons, and if Arne Slot’s July comments were genuine, he could explode at Anfield under the Dutchman.