"It drives me mad" - Michael Owen enraged by what Liverpool attacker did in 1-0 Crystal Palace defeat
Premier League icon Michael Owen has reacted angrily to Darwin Nunez's embarrassing miss during Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the weekend. The Englishman did not hold back as he lashed out at the striker for spurring such a glorious opportunity from point-blank range.
After losing to Atalanta 3-0 in the Europa League last week on Thursday, Liverpool suffered yet another setback at Anfield at the weekend as they lost all three points to Crystal Palace on Sunday (April 14).
It took the visitors just 14 minutes to find the back of the net and they went on to maintain this lead till the end of the game. The Reds had opportunities to equalize but failed to take them, with Darwin Nunez particularly wasting what should've been an easy goal.
The Uruguayan found himself in close range with only the goalkeeper to beat but chose to go with power and ended up hitting the ball at the keeper. This didn't sit well with Michael Owen who insists that he should've placed the ball instead.
“Some players like going for power (on Nunez’s miss from close-blank range),” Owen told Premier League Productions. “It has never been a finish I would condone. It has never been a finish I would practise. If I smacked the ball too hard, my dad would shout at me, ‘Place it in the corner.’"
"If I hit the post, he would be absolutely fine with that. Just playing safe, hitting the target and the goalkeeper saving it. It drove him mad and it drives me mad when I watch strikers do that."
The pundit went on to stress the need to prioritize accuracy when aiming at goal from close range.
"He had half of the goal to aim for. Very occasionally, you are going to need power. If you are 25 yards out, you can’t place the ball with the side of your foot. But when you are six yards out!? It’s all about accuracy. Find the corners and you will score more goals,” he added.
So far this season, Darwin Nunez has played 47 games for Liverpool across all competitions, recording 18 goals and 13 assists to his name. That includes 11 goals and eight assists in 30 Premier League outings.
Where Liverpool stand in the Premier League title race right now
Following yesterday's result, Liverpool have now fallen to the third position in the Premier League table. They're tied at 71 points with second-placed Arsenal who rank above them due to goal difference.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have now returned to the summit of the table after recording a resounding 5-1 victory against Luton Town at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Pep Guardiola's men now have 73 points to their name after 32 games.
With just six matches left to be played in the English top flight this season, it will be interesting to see if there are any more twists and turns in the title race over the next couple of weeks.