Dazzling Evolution: Darwin Nunez's Incredible Journey to Success at Liverpool

Darwin Nunez openly discussed his struggle with adjusting to the Premier League when speaking to We in February. He expressed that it has been a significant and unexpected challenge due to the league's strength and competitiveness.

Despite facing difficulties in his first season in England, the £85m Uruguayan had experienced a similar situation when he joined his previous club Benfica. He acknowledged that his first year did not go well, but in the second year, he excelled. Nunez believes that a similar pattern is unfolding in his current situation in the Premier League.

Recent evidence indicates that he was onto something as Nunez successfully concluded his debut season with 15 goals across various competitions for Liverpool. Despite encountering complexities throughout the campaign, this achievement cannot be considered a disaster. However, particularly noteworthy is his incredibly impactful goal against West Ham on Sunday, marking his fourth goal in a mere 336 minutes played this season. It is evident that Nunez has found his rhythm and appears to have reached a turning point in his performance.

Finishing off chances

Last season, he had a disappointing negative differential in the Premier League, scoring only nine goals from an expected 12.16 goals. However, there is a noticeable change in the underlying statistics this time.

Rather than falling short of his expected goals, he is now surpassing expectations by scoring three goals from an xG of 2.64. Although it is a small sample size, this shift in performance is promising.

His recent hurried attempt just moments before his goal against West Ham served as a timely reminder of his persistently unpredictable nature. Nunez has squandered a total of six significant opportunities in the Premier League this season, as confirmed by Opta.

However, the imperfections in his performance only add to the appeal for Liverpool fans. Nunez has been beloved by Anfield supporters for quite some time, and now that he is scoring goals regularly, his occasional misses are more forgivable. Additionally, he has also contributed with two assists in matches against Aston Villa and Europa League foes LASK. As a result, Nunez currently boasts an impressive average of being involved in a goal every 56 minutes across all competitions this season.

Klopp has been focusing on improving his finishing skills since he arrived. In February, Nunez mentioned that Klopp has advised him to remain calm during finishing. Nunez shared that Klopp has emphasized the importance of taking an extra moment, as shooting with anger or rushing often leads to poor outcomes. In contrast, Nunez's recent achievements can be attributed to his ability to trust and follow his instincts.

The speed at which he executed his double against Newcastle, taking both shots early after running in behind, showcased its beauty. This same ruthlessness was apparent in his improvised, first-time finish against West Ham in Sunday's match at Anfield.

Ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup victory over Leicester, Klopp's assistant, Pep Lijnders, characterized Nunez as "a player driven by pure intuition." The distinction now is that, after having a season to acclimate, the 24-year-old has discovered a level of confidence and conviction that aligns with his skills.

Off-the-ball shifts

"The main difference," said the Liverpool boss on Sunday, "is the improved coordination and effectiveness of his defensive work. He has always had the desire to do it, but now it appears much more cohesive."

Nunez's dedication and work rate were never questioned, even during his most challenging moments last season. However, Klopp's observation regarding its amplified efficiency is supported by statistical evidence.

Nunez's pressing has undergone a remarkable overhaul, as revealed by the tracking data. In the current season, he has recorded over double the number of pressures and final-third pressures per 90 minutes compared to the previous period. Notably, his average of 25.3 final-third pressures tops the charts in the entire division.

Klopp's Liverpool continues to prioritize quickly regaining possession after losing the ball. This season, Liverpool's collective counter-pressures per 90 minutes have increased from 88 to 92. Nunez has played a significant role in this improvement.

Klopp has emphasized the significance of support from midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones. "We have managed to adapt our tactics to accommodate Nunez's off-the-ball improvement," Klopp stated. "Curtis and Dom contribute greatly with their versatility in this aspect."

Positioning themselves closely behind Nunez in matches against Aston Villa and West Ham, the duo worked in harmony to block passing lanes and, at times, even ventured forward to press alongside him.

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Jones and Szoboszlai have provided excellent off-the-ball support to Nunez.

Furthermore, Nunez has displayed impressive synergy with Mohamed Salah. A prominent instance of their successful collaboration occurred during the Villa match. Nunez applied pressure to Emi Martinez and swiftly transitioned to teaming up with Salah to close down Pau Torres. This joint effort resulted in a corner kick, ultimately leading to Liverpool scoring the first goal.

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Nunez presses Aston Villa goalkeeper Martinez

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He then joins Salah in pressurising Torres in order to force a corner

Nunez has consistently demonstrated his commitment to defensive tracking.

During the victory against West Ham, an instance occurred where Alexis Mac Allister lost the ball in the opposing half. Remarkably, Nunez, despite being ten yards ahead of his teammate, swiftly sprinted back to his own penalty area within seconds. His exceptional speed allowed him to catch up to Michail Antonio and successfully regain possession.

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Nunez is around 30 yards from the West Ham goal when Mac Allister loses the ball

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Seeing Antonio carry the ball forward on the break, he sprints back into his own half

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Nunez tackles Antonio, compelling him to throw the ball and receiving praise from the home spectators.

"He possesses a relentless mindset to dash, contend, and reach positions no one anticipates," Lijnders mentioned earlier this week. "This individual harbors an intense passion," stated teammate Alisson Becker. The action-packed tackle on Antonio exemplified these admirable traits.

Availability and link play

"He was consistently present," Klopp commented on Nunez's performance against West Ham. "It is extremely crucial for us at this moment to have a skilled player who can manipulate the ball (in the forward position). Float the ball, receive it on the chest, and execute the play from that point."

While discussing Liverpool's third goal against Wolves, Klopp highlighted Nunez's notable involvement. Demonstrating great strength, Nunez expertly received Alisson's long pass and outmaneuvered Craig Dawson near the halfway line. This left the center-back sprawled on the ground as Nunez sprinted ahead and passed the ball to Salah. Consequently, Salah set up Harvey Elliot for a low shot that deflected into the net off Hugo Bueno.

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Nunez controls Alisson's long kick on the halfway line

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He shrugs off Dawson and turns into the space behind him

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Nunez then releases Salah with a through-ball

Nunez's increased involvement in Liverpool's approach play can be seen in his numbers for touches and passes.

Last season, he averaged 36.7 and 19.7 per 90 minutes in the Premier League. In the new campaign, those numbers have increased to 44.8 and 23.6 per 90 minutes.

Nunez, renowned for introducing chaos, now effectively collaborates with his fellow forwards, contributing to the impressive performances of Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, and Cody Gakpo.

The quintet, collectively, have been responsible for 11 out of Liverpool's 15 Premier League goals, instilling optimism in Liverpool that their potent attacking force could reignite their title aspirations.

Nunez's task is to maintain this impressive form when facing Tottenham on Saturday. A stellar performance on that day would further enhance the feeling that, after enduring a challenging debut season in England, he is now prepared to make a significant impact, just as he had foreseen.

Watch Tottenham, vs Liverpool live on We Premier League from 5pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm