Football: Liverpool’s Klopp hails ‘unstoppable’ Nunez despite lack of goals

BIRMINGHAM – Darwin Nunez was not on the scoresheet in Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Monday but manager Jurgen Klopp said he was delighted with the Uruguayan’s all-round play and is confident the goals will come.

Nunez missed several chances against Villa but his tireless running and chance creation saw him named Man of the Match, with his late cut-back allowing teenager Stefan Bajcetic to score his first senior goal.

Klopp said he had been around long enough in football not to lose any sleep over Nunez’s recent scoring record.

However, Nunez is set to face more competition for his place after PSV Eindhoven said on Monday that Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo will join the Reds.

The 23-year-old scored three goals for the Netherlands in the World Cup in Qatar. The clubs did not disclose a transfer fee but British media reported it was around €40 million (S$57.3 million) to €50 million.

“There are so many other things that are much more important because we look back at strikers and you cannot imagine some of the chances strikers who I worked with missed,” he said.

“The work rate he put in, the spaces he creates, he’s unstoppable in the moment. There is no defender who can really catch up speed-wise.”

Nunez has scored just five league goals since being brought in as Sadio Mane’s replacement in a transfer that cost Liverpool an initial fee of €75 million in the close season.

Klopp said he is being patient with the 23-year-old, who also failed to score in three games at the World Cup.

“He will score goals, I have no doubt about that,” said the German. “Everything will be fine.”

Klopp also praised 18-year-old Bajcetic’s attitude and ability.

The Reds got off to the flying start they craved on their English Premier League return after the World Cup as victory cut the gap on the top four to five points.

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk put the visitors in a commanding position before half-time.

But Klopp’s men had to endure some nervy moments in the second half after Ollie Watkins pulled a goal back for Villa before Bajcetic scored within seconds of coming off the bench.

“He’s cheeky as hell and is not worried about anything. He just plays football and he can do that exceptionally well,” said Klopp of the Spanish midfielder, who is the son of former Serbian international Srdan Bajcetic.

“He had a football-playing father, so the genes are there but also the attitude, awareness and match intelligence. It’s a big pleasure to work with these boys.”

Liverpool struggled to match their standards of recent seasons during the first part of the season, but looked refreshed to inflict Unai Emery’s first league defeat since taking charge of Villa.

Emery’s men were left to rue a host of big chances as Liverpool showed no sign of remedying their defensive issues so far this season.

Leon Bailey and Watkins were guilty of wasteful finishing.

Said Emery: “Over the 90 minutes, there were moments for us and for them.

“We had the chances and, if we scored, then maybe the match would go differently. But Liverpool created chances as well.”

“They had good transitions with good pace and when they scored the third goal, it finished it.”
REUTERS, AFP