Nunez defies VAR controversy to shine in Liverpool win

Robin Bairner

• 26 Dec 2023 13:54 CST
• 3 min read

Darwin Nunez and Liverpool defied couple of controversial VAR calls to claim a 2-0 win over Burnley in the Premier League on Boxing Day.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have now won seven successive matches on 26 December, and it was Nunez who was decisive in this encounter after going 12 games without a goal.

The Uruguay international striker broke his duck in lovely style, curling home a shot from the edge of the area to quieten critics who had began to round on him after failing to find the net for Liverpool since 1 November.

Diogo Jota sealed the points late on as he marked his return from injury with a goal from an acute angle.

But it was to be Nunez’s night as the forward posed Burnley problems with his all-action style.

While he managed seven touches in the box and recovered possession five times, though, the 24-year-old former Benfica player still showed a level of vulnerability in his game.

According to FootballCritic, he completed only 58% of his passes – 17% less than anyone else on his team and the second lowest figure of any outfield player on display.

His overall rating of 7.1 reflects a performance in which he performed to a good standard that should serve as a building block to better days ahead after a frustrating couple of months.

More VAR controversy

Liverpool, meanwhile, were at the centre of VAR controversy once more as they had two goals disallowed, one of which Nunez found himself the unwitting central character.

Cody Gakpo, who scored 7.7 on FootballCritic, was robbed of a goal as Nunez had been adjudged to have fouled a defender in the buildup to the strike. It was a very debatable call. Had it been allowed to stand, the Netherlands star would have challenged centre-back Virgil van Dijk for Player of the Match honours.

Adding to Jurgen Klopp’s frustration was a second goal disallowed midway through the second half. Harvey Elliott thought he had sealed the game with a tidy low finish, but Mohamed Salah was adjudged to have been in an offside position blocking Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford’s vision.

While there was little argument to that point, Salah was only in that position after being pushed by a defender.

Nevertheless, Liverpool’s victory was the key thing for Klopp, and Nunez breaking his goal duck was particularly welcome.