“Loved what I saw,” “If he stays fit, he’s going to bag dozens” – Liverpool hero Michael Owen delivers verdict on Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland after Community Shield tie
Following Liverpool's win over Manchester City in the FA Community Shield, Michael Owen has openly discussed two of the biggest signings in the Premier League. Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland, who both made their debuts in the clash, were signed by the Reds and the Cityzens respectively.
It wasn't a great debut for Haaland, who struggled to find chances and score the few that came his way. Nunez, on the other hand, put his name on the scoresheet deep into injury time to cement Liverpool's 3-1 win.
Taking to Twitter, Owen warned that Haaland's inability to take his chances well was hardly an issue:
"Forget Erling Haaland missing chances, that happens. Watch how quickly he anticipates one arising. If he stays fit, he’s going to bag dozens in a sky blue shirt."
The Reds legend also opened up about Nunez's impressive performance in another tweet, comparing the star to former Liverpool man Sadio Mane:
"I watched Darwin Nunez lots last season. Loved what I saw. Mane is going to be a big loss but I can’t think of many better replacements."
Both players notably missed a number of chances to score, but it was Nunez who eventually made it count with a clean header past Ederson's arms. Haaland had a rather clear chance to score a rebound towards the end of the game, but the star only managed to hit the bar instead.
With the season now in full swing, both Liverpool and Manchester City will work towards exceeding expectations. The Reds enjoyed a thrilling campaign last year, which saw them win two trophies and play every possible game of the season.
City, while they won the Premier League on the final day, managed little else, and Pep Guardiola will be looking to improve on their struggles from last season.
Liverpool have had a solid transfer window
The €75 million fee paid to Benfica for Darwin Nunez is arguably one of the most exciting Premier League transfers of the summer. Having scored four goals against RB Leipzig during pre-season, alongside his late goal against City, fans will have good reason to be excited about the star.
Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay both joined the Reds from Fulham and Aberdeen FC respectively, but they are not expected to take major first-team roles yet. Sadio Mane, Neco Williams, Divock Origi, and Takumi Minanimo have all left the club, with Origi leaving on a free transfer for Milan.
The Reds might not yet be finished with transfers, with Jurgen Klopp reportedly looking for a midfielder to add to the squad.