In Focus: Nunez's Toon brace can reinvigorate Reds career

Darwin Nunez has always been capable of producing moments of brilliance.

He did so twice at St James' Park last weekend, firing two low finishes into the bottom-left corner to give 10-man Liverpool a memorable 2-1 victory over Newcastle.

But will the mercurial striker be able to repeat that performance on a consistent basis in the Premier League this season?

Ahead of Liverpool's clash with Aston Villa, we take a look at whether Nunez can finally fulfil his potential at Anfield.

Big impact

Nunez has made an impact from very little game time so far in 2023-24.

The Uruguayan has been introduced as a substitute in each of Liverpool's three league games, playing a total of just 41 minutes.

But with two goals from an expected goals total of only 0.21, he has perhaps played his way into Jurgen Klopp's starting XI.

At the very least, Nunez will now be trusted as a potential game changer — even if he remains on the bench for the time being.

Fired up

Klopp has insisted that Nunez will be given more opportunities to impress in the coming weeks.

He said: "It's clear he's not happy — how can a player be happy when he's not starting?

"We will play every three days anyway and everybody will play, there's no doubt about that.

"Even if Darwin would have started the first three games, he would not have played more games afterwards because of the intensity.

"He was obviously fired up from not playing, not starting, then put all the energy in these two shots. It was a super mature performance and two top-class goals."

Learning curve

Nunez scored nine Premier League goals last season after arriving from Benfica for a club-record £85million fee.

Few doubt his talent but the 24-year-old was hindered by an element of rawness and callowness.

The enigmatic forward missed 20 big chances in 2022-23, with only Marcus Rashford (22) and Erling Haaland (28) missing more.

That Nunez was in positions to get so many opportunities is encouraging — but others were more clinical. Rashford scored 13 of his big chances and Haaland netted 31, while the Liverpool man converted just seven.

Proving a point

Liverpool will hope Nunez's finishes at on Tyneside are a sign of better things to come this season.

There can certainly be no questions around the striker's motivation.

He said: "The minutes I get to play I always try to give my best. When it's my turn to be on the bench, I go in angry — in a good way — because I always want to prove myself.

"The hug with Klopp after the match shows what a good relationship there is. I'm very happy for my moment. I always prepare myself in the best way for when it's my turn."

Progress

The key now for Nunez will be to build on his match-winning cameo.

In front of an expectant crowd at Anfield, he will be determined to produce another memorable display as Liverpool face Aston Villa.

Despite being sidelined in the opening weeks, Nunez has made the ideal start to what will be a hugely important campaign in his Liverpool career.