Liverpool advanced to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 win away to Southampton on Wednesday night, but the route to victory wasn’t without its difficulties.
The Reds were cruising at half-time with a two-goal lead against a Saints team who looked like the Premier League’s bottom club, but the home side roused themselves in the second half and pulled one goal back, with the visitors eventually having to ride out a nervy finish to the game.
Darwin Nunez broke the deadlock midway through the first half, but one lapse from the Uruguayan in the closing minutes led to him getting a rollicking.
Liverpool coaches fume at Nunez
Towards the end of the match, Daily Mail journalist Lewis Steele noted via X that, in the absence of Arne Slot due to a touchline ban, assistant head coach Sipke Hulshoff and individual development coach/set-piece specialist Aaron Briggs were ‘furious’ at the Liverpool number 9.
The reporter noticed that duo ‘barking at’ Nunez to get into the penalty area to defend a long throw from Southampton as they pushed for a late equaliser.
Nunez largely quiet but came good for Liverpool when needed
The Uruguay striker showed excellent composure to net just his fourth club goal of the season last night, but he was isolated for much of the game and actually had a relatively subdued performance in comparison to most of his teammates.
As per Sofascore, he lost 70% of his duels and completed only 10 passes (fewest of any Liverpool starter) despite playing for the full match. Only one of his four shots was on target (the goal) and he had a mere 23 touches of the ball.
That lapse over the late Southampton throw-in also showed a rare abdication of off-the-ball duty from Nunez, whose work rate is normally exemplary.
However, no currency is more valuable to a striker than goals, and he’ll have been mightily relieved to have found the net when through one-on-one with Alex McCarthy last night.
It’s often been said of Mo Salah that he appears to be on the periphery of games before popping up with a decisive moment in the final third. That very much rings true for Liverpool’s number 9 at St Mary’s – not an all-action performance, but he did the business when it counted, and for that he deserves acclaim.
