Darwin Nunez instantly proves Arne Slot right as Liverpool handed major boost
Darwin Nunez's injury-time brace against Brentford may not prove to be the moment that turns his Liverpool career around, but nobody in the away end at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday will forget his contribution in a hurry.
The Uruguayan emerged as a second-half substitute in West London, and after infuriating teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold with one ill-advised shot from distance, turned from villain to hero as he scored the goals that secured all three points for his team.
Nunez's double came just a day after Liverpool head coach Arne Slot issued perhaps his staunchest defense yet of the much-maligned Uruguayan since taking over at Anfield last summer. “Darwin will score his goals,” Slot confidently predicted ahead of the trip to Brentford. “He already did and he will again."
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Whether Slot would have expected Nunez to deliver the goods quite so quickly is unlikely, but his confidence-boosting words may well have had an impact on the striker's mindset heading onto the pitch.
Nunez is clearly a confidence player, evidenced by his bold decision to take the ball off Mohamed Salah's toes before lashing in his and Liverpool's second, and Slot's positivity, amid all the negativity that has surrounded Nunez in recent weeks, could well have lifted the player's self-belief.
Speaking after the match, Slot said of his match-winning star: "He's always having a lot of impact when he comes in. Brings energy and power. Most of our games are the last half hour in control around 18 yards, and that's where he's at his best. The first hour is often open but the last 30 minutes dominant. Then to have someone like Darwin is nice to have.
"I don't only look at results. We created a lot. But now it's a win so I don't have to say look at our performance. I was very pleased with our performance. Brentford made it a fight. They have good players and a good game plan. It was a nice game to watch like every time Liverpool are on the pitch."
