Not even a two-goal return in a 4-0 victory can spare Darwin Nunez from being questioned by some pundits.
The Uruguayan started and rounded off the scoring for Liverpool as they ran riot against Bournemouth on Sunday, with Diogo Jota netting a double in between, but the Reds’ number 9 still had one aspect of his game questioned in the wake of that emphatic win at the Vitality Stadium.
Speaking on Premier League Productions (22 January, 14:15), Shay Given remains unconvinced about the 24-year-old’s finishing qualities.
The former Manchester City goalkeeper said: “You see Nunez. There is still, you might disagree, but I am still not sure. I know he scored two and he’s got good figures, but I still don’t think he is a natural goalscorer, if that makes sense.
“If you look at his partner in Jota, he looks like the most natural goalscorer in the league. Everything he seems to touch turns to gold. He is a brilliant striker and a very natural finisher.”
It seems that only a prolonged purple patch of scoring form will quieten Nunez’s critics once and for all, if he’s still being questioned after a game in which he netted twice (including the all-important breakthrough goal).
The £140,000-per-week striker (Capology) mightn’t be quite as clinical a finisher as Jota, who’s scored one more goal than the 24-year-old this season despite playing 588 minutes fewer (Transfermarkt), but he can still find the net with aplomb.
Look at the late double he plundered at Newcastle in August, the cracking volley against West Ham a month later and the beautiful curled strike in the Carabao Cup win at Bournemouth. Those were all top-quality finishes that a run-of-the-mill forward couldn’t execute.
Nunez might be culpable of the occasional sitter, but it seems unfair for him to constantly be derided for his finishing ability when you recall some of the goals he’s conjured up.
With Mo Salah set to be sidelined for a month, the Uruguayan now has the perfect opportunity to put together a hot streak of form which, hopefully for once and for all, will silence the ongoing doubters.
🕯️ EOTK Insider: A tribute to Alex South; a remarkable man with a special Kop moment