Darwin Nunez 'suffering from stage fright' at Liverpool

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 10 Feb 2023 17:04 GMT
• 3 min read

Darwin Nunez has struggled to live up to expectations since swapping Benfica for Liverpool in a deal which could climb to €100 million last summer…

Darwin proved a divisive figure almost since he set foot in England.

The Uruguayan scored on his debut - a 3-1 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield - and also in his first Premier League outing, in a 2-2 draw at Fulham.

But his output has steadily declined to 10 goals in 26 games in all competitions for Liverpool, with his missed chances beginning to blow up on social media.

READ: Darwin can become world class if he improves one thing, claims Alan Shearer

In fairness to the 23-year-old, he isn't the only Liverpool player misfiring this season, as the Reds got off to their worst ever Premier League start under Jurgen Klopp, but his performance in the 3-0 loss at Wolves last Saturday was abject - something Garth Crooks picked up on.

Picking his now infamous Team of the Week on the BBC website, the former Tottenham Hotspur defender chose Wolves captain Ruben Neves, but dedicated most of his entry to attacking Liverpool's misfiring striker.

Nunez 'suffering from stage fright'

"Forwards Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah hardly had a kick," he wrote. "I'm beginning to think Nunez is suffering from stage fright. Clubs don't come much bigger than Liverpool and the pressure can be enormous. Nunez is really struggling in front of goal."

READ: The seven biggest transfer flops in Europe this season so far

Darwin's underlying stats appear to bear out Crooks' opinion. Nunez has scored five Premier League goals this season but his xG suggests he should have eight. Only Brighton's Danny Welbeck has a bigger disparity between expected goals (5) and actual goals (1) among Premier League forwards this season.

Nunez - who scored 34 goals in 41 games for Benfica last season, including two against Liverpool - has admitted himself that he isn't playing at his best.

"I think he wants to see what he saw in Benfica," The Uruguay striker told Sky Sports when asked what Klopp demands of him. "For example in the games I played against Liverpool, when I performed very well.

"I don't think I'm playing well at the moment, but I always want to improve. I try to improve every day."