Darwin Nunez has had one of the most promising or frightening Premier League debuts. Liverpool striker Erling Haaland has more chances. Five Premier League goals in eight starts looks fantastic. The performances have divided opinion more than an £85m transfer cost. Ups and downs have been constant. Community Shield sub-goal. Another minutes after debuting at Fulham. First home game, headbutt versus Crystal Palace, red card.
Darwin Nunez’s Liverpool form
Misses, goals, and more misses have followed. Monday’s victory over Aston Villa summed it up. Nunez was named the game’s MVP by some. Others noted his four missed goals.His misses at Villa Park were more varied than in the loss to Manchester City before Christmas. A near-miss. Jumping over the ball instead of shooting seems strange. Shining volley when he could have touched. Others expected a finished product. Sometimes it’s evident that this player’s first season in European football ended in August 2020 – in Spain’s second division.
Liverpool, one of football’s top recruiters, took a calculated gamble. They like non-academy players. Nunez, like Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, seems eager to succeed.It also means there’s much to teach about ball care and in-and-out-of-possession situations. But the intangible benefits are worth it. Nunez’s passion and physique make him formidable.
Premier League tracking data shows only two players faster than Haaland this season. Only Everton’s Anthony Gordon had a faster top speed than his 36.5 km/h. Getting into these positions is the hard part for Nunez and Liverpool. Long term, he should convert these chances at a higher rate than he does today. Exciting!
Every Premier League player with more than 150 shots in a season has scored more than 20 goals. Last season’s top four goal scorers all had 100+ shots. It’s obvious.
