Liverpool return to Premier League action tomorrow as they prepare to take on Fulham at Anfield.
The Reds’ previous Premier League clash against Everton was postponed due to Storm Darragh, with the fixture now set to be played in mid-February.
Things are going quite well for Liverpool on the pitch, but in recent weeks, Darwin Nunez’s dry run in front of goal has emerged as a bit of an issue.
And with Diogo Jota fully fit for the clash against Fulham, Paul Merson has delivered an interesting verdict on the Uruguayan forward.
Paul Merson says Darwin Nunez can make an impact as a substitute for Liverpool
Nunez led the line in Jota’s absence and failed to make an impression as his end product wasn’t up to the mark.
He missed a glorious chance to score and was substituted in the second half against Girona as his head dropped while he walked off the pitch.
Arne Slot admitted that Nunez’s second-half performance vs Girona wasn’t good enough but admitted the enigmatic striker still adds a lot of value to his team due to his work rate.
However, with Jota now fully fit, he could lose his place in the starting XI in the coming weeks.
Merson believes Nunez can be a useful asset off the bench for Slot, adding that he expects the striker to make an impact at some point this season.
He wrote in his column for Sportskeeda: “Diogo Jota is also back from injury and given how Darwin Nunez has failed to set the stage on fire in his absence, I expect Arne Slot to trust the Portuguese more.
“But I still like Nunez as an option off the bench. He can ruffle a few feathers, can be a real handful and is still someone you don’t want to play against if you’re a defender! I have no doubt that he will have an impact at some point this season.”
Nunez’s stats this season
The former Benfica striker is a likable character and wears his heart on his sleeve, but his end product hasn’t been good enough this season as seen below.
Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to offload Nunez at the end of the season as he simply hasn’t shown signs of improving since joining the club in the summer of 2022.
With Joao Pedro emerging as a target for Liverpool, it remains to be seen what they do with Nunez if he doesn’t show signs of improvement between now and the end of the season.
