There is no doubt that Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are desperate for Darwin Nunez to become a huge success at the club. He did not find his footing right away. Yet he is the crucial centerpiece of the new era attack at Anfield and if he reaches his potential, it means the club will be doing great things.
A somewhat tame debut season where he scored 15 goals in all competitions was followed by a summer of questions and perhaps even a little doubt.
January arrival Cody Gakpo had solidified his place in the center of attack down the stretch of last season and Darwin found himself on the bench more often then not.
However, the Uruguayan put in a very good preseason that saw him netting goals and being a constant threat. However, as the season got rolling, he did not hit the ground running over the first few weeks.
Even as that was the case, you could still see he was the most dangerous attacking threat outside of Salah.
His constant willingness to run in behind and put defenses under pressure is an invaluable trait that a Gakpo does not necessarily possess. However, there have been times where he did not grasp the Liverpool system of tracking back from the front.
The Reds intense pressure defense must start up top and if the forward is only looking to attack, it shifts everything out of place.
In recent weeks though, Darwin has not only been a more willing pressure defender but he is now bringing goals more consistently. It started with his heroics at St. James Park as he bagged a winning brace off the bench to sink the Magpies.
That sparkling and impactful performance has seemingly instilled a newfound confidence in his game as he is now getting more starts and time to make his own impact.
More recently, he put on a Man of the Match type performance in the Europa League opener against LASK as he buried a penalty and was an all-around threat every minute he was on the pitch.
He is constantly putting himself in dangerous positions and now he is beginning to more comfortably take those chances. His sublime finish in the victory over West Ham being perhaps his best goal of the season.
His unrivaled enthusiasm after scoring the goal shows just how much it means to him to be a success for the club. He knows the pressure he is under to succeed which is probably a contributor to him pressing on some of his chances.
However, it looks like with each passing match Darwin is becoming further integrated into the side and he is beginning to enjoy his time here while finding his footing. When he is playing without pressure his talent is clear.
Darwin Nunez has been one of Liverpool’s best players in the early going and he must continue to push on and reach the next level in his game. He has all the ability to do so and based on recent outings it looks like he is well on his way.
Players sometimes take longer to find their footing after a major move. He seems to be on the right path. Long may it continue for his sake and Liverpool’s and fans sake as well.