James Noble

Unsurprisingly, much of the discussion following Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Aston Villa has centred around Darwin Núnez’s second-half miss – and, indeed, Núnez in general. There are such a range of outlooks around the No.9. There does, though, also appear to be acknowledgement that he is likely to remain an erratic on-field force. It’s only just over a month since his late double secured that crucial win at Brentford, of course.

Criticism of moments such as the Villa Park miss is warranted but, clearly, it mustn’t overstep the mark. It felt right that Arne Slot emphasised on Thursday that he could accept the miss, while calling out Núnez’s subsequent drop in work rate. His effort levels are normally unquestionable; allowing in-game setbacks to negatively impact his application simply can’t become a habit.

The Reds’ attack isn’t necessarily constructed to chiefly optimise his – or, indeed, the centre forward’s – goal return. Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo’s numbers arguably reflect that. Without being prolific, he can still be a valuably multi-talented threat and facilitator.

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With this summer marking the halfway point of the 25-year-old’s six-year contract, it does appear there’s a decision to make. A move, and subsequent re-investment, potentially makes most sense for all. In the meantime, though, it’s important we back him. From the start or bench, he’s capable of decisive contributions.

Rhys Buchanan

We've never been quite sure of what version of Darwin Nunez we're going to get whenever he pulls on a Liverpool shirt, but following on from Wolves at home where the number nine lacked energy and fight last weekend, we had quite an early indication of what version we were getting mid-week against Aston Villa when the forward missed a costly open goal opportunity.

While it's pretty clear he's not good enough for Liverpool in the long-term, what's most worrying for the Uruguayan is his lack of hunger when things aren't going his way. Take Jota for instance, who also missed a big chance but fought to make amends and came close with a long range strike.

That being said, I think the comments and social media pile-on from certain fans was lazy and counterproductive to the mood around the club right now. We're eight points clear and in an excellent position going into a huge game this weekend and we need to get behind them.

Andrew Cullen

A Premier league, a Premier League, what more do we need to do to secure a Premier League? It’s never straightforward with Liverpool, though. We have been cruising all season, but it does feel that over the past couple of weeks we have hit some turbulence. After a sucker punch at Goodison Park, we had a tough test against Wolves, and the trip to Villa was a slugfest.

Nunez spurned several good chances when he came on against Villa, and that was the difference between winning and getting the draw. We know that title races are decided by the finest margins.

It was around this stage last year that Klopp’s Liverpool started to falter in the title race, and there are signs this year that a similar malaise may be setting. If our lead dwindles, the pressure and noise will increase.

Do we have the composure to go the distance ? Do we have the metal to stand the storms to come? The questions will continue to be asked, and the team will need to provide the answers. What is certain is that we will have to be more clinical in front of goal.

It feels like a real opportunity this year to secure the crown, with City a weakened force and with Arsenal bereft of attacking quality.