"He's never going to be a clinical finisher" – Jamie Carragher makes bold claim on Liverpool attacker
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has claimed that Darwin Nunez is not a natural goal-scorer considering his unorthodox shooting technique in his team's recent 6-1 win over Leeds United.
The Reds ended their five-match winless run across all competitions with an easy Premier League win at Elland Road on Monday (April 17). While Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota each bagged a brace, Cody Gakpo and Nunez scored the first and sixth goals for their side, respectively. As for the hosts, Luis Sinisterra executed a chipped finish moments after the break.
Nunez, 23, started the contest on the substitute bench before replacing Salah in the 81st minute. He controlled a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold on his chest before slotting it with a left-footed strike in the 90th minute.
That exquisite pass by Trent, the control by Darwin who slots it home naturally, without never really looking up, just knows that when he releases it, it will end up where it needs to. So so good. https://t.co/hB64Kc41nM
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher claimed that Nunez's shooting ability doesn't instill confidence. He said:
"I think sometimes when he goes through and he has that time to think about it, I don't think anyone really feels confident he's going to finish. Away at Newcastle, he brought it down and he just hit it. And even then, I was thinking, 'I can't believe he's hit that so quickly'."
Suggesting that the Liverpool striker is not an effective finisher, Carragher added:
"But that's the type of thing he does, he'll shoot from anywhere – gets lots of shots off. But I think that's just him. You know, he's never going to be a clinical finisher, I don't think. I might be wrong."
Nunez, who arrived from Benfica for an initial £64 million last summer, has been in fine form this campaign. He has scored 15 goals and contributed four assists in 37 appearances, averaging a goal contribution every 114 minutes.
❤️ https://t.co/kfECFRUKxf
Jurgen Klopp comments on Liverpool's performance after Leeds win
Speaking at a post-match interaction, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed his opinion on his team's performance during their 6-1 Premier League victory at Elland Road. He elaborated:
"I enjoyed it a lot! I think it's the best game we've played this season, from all perspectives. It was a really good game, sensational goals. Counter-pressing-wise, the best game. I was close to saying in decades, but it was long ago! My favorite situation is 92nd minute... we lose the ball and four players chase the poor boy from Leeds."
Despite a timid opening half-hour, Liverpool overpowered Javi Gracia's outfit with a whopping 74% possession and clinical shooting. They scored six goals from seven shots on target and also completed 774 passes in the contest.
The Reds are currently in eighth spot in the 2022-23 Premier League table with 47 points from 30 matches.