What Darwin Nunez did after referee decision spoke volumes as Liverpool injury solution clear
Darwin Nunez turned on his heel and pummelled the air in frustration. The Uruguayan has been no stranger to wearing his heart on his sleeve during his Liverpool career to date, however this time his emotional outburst was not in response to a sublime goal or spectacular miss, but to the actions of referee John Brooks.
The man in the middle had already been the subject of the home support's ire on Sunday afternoon after letting a few robust Chelsea challenges go unpunished. But his decision to award the visitors a free-kick after what had appeared a perfectly legal shoulder charge by Nunez on Renato Veiga caused the decibel levels to skyrocket inside the famous old stadium.
As Liverpool's No. 9 flamboyantly aired his grievance at the call, so too did Arne Slot; the Reds boss momentarily losing purchase on his typically unruffled touchline demeanour as Chelsea were handed another late opportunity to get themselves up the pitch. Seconds later, Brooks blew his whistle to signal the end of the contest, heralding Liverpool's seventh Premier League win of the season and continuing their fine start to life under their new head coach.
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It was a hugely significant victory and - despite the fact he had started the afternoon on the bench - potentially a significant moment in Nunez's Reds career. The striker has largely had to play second fiddle to Diogo Jota under Slot, starting just three of Liverpool's 11 games in all competitions this term.
Only one of those starts has come in the Premier League and, though he found the back of the net in that 3-0 win over Bournemouth, there is still a sense that the jury remains out on whether he has the necessary credentials to be the Reds' long-term centre-forward.
On Sunday, though, Nunez was thrust into the action at Anfield after half-an-hour following a coming together between Jota and Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo, which forced the Portuguese to withdraw with a rib injury.
And it didn't take long for the 25-year-old to earn himself a full-blooded serenade from the crowd as, less than a minute after his introduction, his neat flick set Liverpool on the attack, with only a last-ditch swipe from visiting goalkeeper Robert Sanchez preventing someone in a red shirt from getting a shot away.
Little more than 60 seconds later, Cody Gakpo had the ball in the back of the Chelsea net after another slick move from the hosts. And, while the Dutchman's effort was promptly ruled out for offside, there could be no arguing with the fact Nunez's arrival had helped spark Liverpool into life.
Such performances became commonplace for the forward last term, even as question marks over his finishing ability persisted. He posted a respectable tally of 18 goals and 13 assists in all competitions but, even in games where he did not directly contribute to a goal, he was often at the centre of the action.
It is that intoxicating ability to get the crowd on their feet and sow the seeds of anarchy that has kept Nunez largely in the good graces of match-going fans over the past two seasons, despite the mounting external noise about his deficiencies. His showings in the early weeks of the new campaign, though, seemed devoid of the striker's usual vivacity.
He played less than 90 minutes combined across Liverpool's first four games of the season and, when he did feature, he often looked marooned in the attack, struggling to find any semblance of synergy with his team-mates. Despite impressing against Bournemouth, Nunez has still been unable to establish momentum in terms of regular game time but, with Jota set for a spell on the sidelines, Nunez could be ready for a run in the starting XI.
His performance against Chelsea certainly gives reason for optimism as, while he was unable to inflict any real damage in the visitors' penalty area, the forward's energy and defensive diligence was crucial in helping Liverpool get over the line in arguably their most difficult game of the season.
Nobody on the pitch won more duels than Nunez's nine on Sunday afternoon, while he won all of his three tackles and made three recoveries. So far this season, the Uruguay international has actually made more tackles (nine) than Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice (seven) in the Premier League, evidencing the fact there is so much more to his game than just goals.
"Today showed that no matter how loud the fans were, the referee just wanted to show that he was able not to make the decisions he had to make," Slot said after the victory over Chelsea. "So it didn't help us with the referee, but it definitely helped our players because they had to work so hard.
"And every time they cheer so hard for if you make a block tackle, or Darwin sprints back, or any of these moments, that definitely helps you mentally."
Certainly, with games coming thick and fast in the coming weeks, Nunez's particular brand of controlled chaos could serve Liverpool well. Jota's injury may well hand his fellow forward a chance to prove he can be the focal point of the Reds attack - he must make sure he is ready to take it.