“He busts a gut to get in there.”
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has doubled down on a particular point about Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, while other pundits just dance around it.
The Reds’ striker has been a popular topic of conversation since he arrived at Anfield, but whether he plays poorly or well, most pundits throw out the same lazy analysis, and are too afraid to commit to an actual opinion on the player.
Nunez made the headlines this week for hitting the woodwork more times in a Premier League game than anyone else in history, as he clipped the post or crossbar on four separate occasions against Chelsea.
When you think that a strikers’ job is primarily to score goals, the instant thought that comes to your head is that the Uruguayan forward is simply not good enough and playing poorly.
However, the first two shots where from areas where a goal chance wasn’t eve on, and he almost made it happen, and another one was a missed penalty where he sent the keeper the wrong way, but clipped the post.
Nunez still ran, attacked, pressed and continued to be a constant threat throughout the full 90 minutes, and late in the match he delivered a sublime cross, putting the ball on a plate for Luis Diaz to score, and give himself an assist in the process.
Despite scoring last week, and already bagging 11 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, meaning has been direct involved with 22 goal contributions, pundits still say the same thing about how it hasn’t ‘clicked’ but it might if he works on his finishing.
Paul Merson doubles down on Darwin Nunez point when other pundits dance around it.
It’s an obvious point to make that his finishing could be better given the chances he makes, but Merson disagrees with the idea that Nunez isn’t already living up to his potential and playing well.
"He never hides."
Merse says he would have Darwin Núñez in his team 'every day of the week' ✅ pic.twitter.com/P4HBMnrr5x
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 3, 2024
In fact, the former Arsenal hero doubled down on his opinion of Liverpool’s number nine, and claimed that he would pick him “every day of the week.”
“He doesn’t hide – he never hides” person said on Sky Sports.
“It’s the biggest compliment I can give him. People miss chances and you see them not getting in the box, the ball goes down the wing and they are waiting on the edge of the box waiting for a pull-back.
“Even when he hit the post three times and missed a penalty, he is still getting in there for that header. He busts a gut to get in there. You hope it works for him. For me, he gets in my team every day of the week.
“He is an absolute handful, he is willing to run without the ball, he makes runs, he is a team player, and I hope it clicks for him, but he has 11 goals and is part of a team going for a quadruple, so he is doing something right.
“I am a big fan of his, it takes a lot of character not to hide, and he never hides.”
Related links:
- Darwin Nunez broke 20-year Premier League record during Liverpool vs Chelsea
- Liverpool vs Chelsea: Player ratings as Tyrone’s Conor Bradley sinks Blues
- Liverpool announce All Or Nothing-style series for Jurgen Klopp’s final season
