Arne Slot handed huge Liverpool boost as Darwin Nunez question emerges - 5 Girona talking points

ESTADI MONTILIVI, GIRONA // Liverpool moved even further ahead at the top of the Champions League group phase table with a narrow win over Girona in Spain. Mohamed Salah's penalty, won by Luis Diaz, was the difference between the teams.

Alisson Becker was kept busy and Liverpool didn't find things easy but Arne Slot can reflect on another game where his side found a way to up things just enough in the second half to ensure it won the points. In an unsurprising development, it was Salah who got the ball over the line.

Girona was competitive but the Reds could probably have found another gear had one been needed. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.

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Liverpool refreshed after Everton postponement

When the Merseyside derby was called off, it didn't take long for a few people to make the point that it might not be the worst thing for Liverpool. The Reds were coming off the back of a frantic 3-3 draw with Newcastle United, in which Ryan Gravenberch and others looked jaded. That weekend off was no bad thing even before Manchester City and Arsenal both dropped points.

That theory looked to be right here. Arne Slot picked his strongest available team — perhaps with the exception of having Darwin Nunez over Cody Gakpo — in order to get the job done. Gravenberch looked much better and others were sharper too. And, of course, the likes of Diogo Jota (not deemed fit enough yet to travel) and Alexis Mac Allister (suspended) are still to be added in. That can only be a promising sign.

Familiar faces on show

The Girona team was filled with former Premier League stars, including ex-Manchester United duo Donny van de Beek and Daley Blind, plus Bryan Gil and Arnaut Danjuma, who didn't make much of an impact while they were at Tottenham. Argentine goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga was at Spurs as well, while Oriol Romeu joined from Southampton.

The surprise package in La Liga last season, Girona hasn't been as impressive this year so far, sitting ninth in Spain — already 16 points behind the leader, Barcelona. Liverpool dominated the possession from the off, with the Reds able to pen in their opponent in the main. The game did open up, but Girona was never completely convincing.

Even so, Alisson was needed to make the first good save of the evening from Gil after a well-worked Girona move but Liverpool was generally in control. Only Barcelona and Real Madrid average more possession domestically in Spain, but you would never have guessed that here — a big testament to the level of control that Arne Slot has successfully implemented.

Alisson Becker right back in the action

There was no period of acclimatization for the Liverpool goalkeeper. He was thrown straight back into the thick of things, with plenty of saves to make. That is always the case in Europe with chances for the home team inevitable.

Liverpool started with complete dominance but it was not an easy game in the end, largely because the Reds were in second gear. A little more urgency could have given Alisson a quieter outing. In the end, it didn't matter. In fact, the shot-stopper should benefit from being involved to increase his match sharpness.

Darwin Nunez decision-making baffling

If he had any, Slot would be tearing his hair out on the sidelines with some of the things that Darwin Nunez does. The Uruguayan number nine wasn't involved that much but when he was, he made the wrong calls. His finishing is inconsistent so the lack of all-round play is a problem: where Erling Haaland, as one extreme example, can do little but score, Nunez doesn't have the same luxury.

That was always going to be prescient during his third season at Liverpool. Having had two to settle in and nail down his place in the team, this needed to be a season where he kicked on. But with Diogo Jota now nearing a return (perhaps against Fulham at the weekend), this was maybe the last chance Nunez had before the Portugal forward came back into the reckoning.

Since the Chelsea game when Jota picked up his rib injury, Nunez has picked up more bookings (three) than scored goals for Liverpool (two). Just a few seconds into the second half, Salah rolled a ball across the six yard box but he wasn't alive to it and that summed up the lack of goal threat.

Now Jota is nearing a return, he will presumably return to how he started the season as the Reds' number-one pick through the middle. A big few months lie ahead for Nunez, who struggled a bit here, with the question marks over him remaining.

Champions League qualification boost

It has often been the case that Liverpool kicks on in the second half of matches under Slot — 19 of the Reds' last 22 goals have come after the interval — and while they were far from scintillating here, they did get the job done. Salah's goal was one that was deserved on the balance of play and it was another step in the right direction.

With matches against PSV and Lille in January now looking like ones where changes can be made for rotation purposes, that was the biggest thing for Liverpool here. When it comes around, it will be a boost Slot really feels. Still with a perfect record in the Champions League, Liverpool has taken the jeopardy out of what will be a packed schedule early in 2025 with this result.