What can Darwin Nunez do to unseat Diogo Jota from the Starting XI?

Saturday saw the Arne Slot era get off to a winning start and it was in large part due to the play of one Diogo Jota who bagged himself a goal in addition to plenty of other good work.

This continued a strong trend of the Portuguese star performing well in Liverpool's new style as he played very well during the preseason friendlies. It was good to see him carry over this momentum into the real games.

However, as a result of this, one player that was not utilizedat Portman Road was Darwin Nunez. Some would say it was because he only returned just before the final preseason friendly, but so did Alexis Mac Allister who played a game more and he was full go for Slot on Saturday.

In what looks like the most important season of his career, Nunez is not a penciled in starter and must force his way into the XI. So how can he do just that?

Maximizing every opportunity he gets

While the biggest issue for Nunez is just this, it is vital that puts himself in the best position possible to take each chance that comes his way, whether that is starting or off the bench.

The idea of a fresh Darwin running at ragged defenses for the final 30 minutes is actually a very enticing idea as his physical gifts would only be amplified in a situation like that.

Perhaps the greatest example of this working was his magical brace against Newcastle early last season where he came on late and scored two sublime finishes to the far post.

For now, Jota has earned the right to start at least the next Premier Leagu match but I would fully expect to see Nunez on the field at some point.

Showcasing his dynamism

While Jota is a more consistent finisher in front of goal, he does not have the natural gifts that Nunez does.

Darwin has his counterpart beat in pace, size, power, jumping ability and audacious scoring range. However, both players have very good attacking sense and typically put themselves in very dangerous areas whenever possible.

Nunez has an incredible work-rate that has gone a long way to holding off a lot of the naysayers as he will always put in a shift.

He is a clear matchwinner when he is fully locked in and firing and those kind of players do not come around very often and Liverpool would be lucky to have him.

This explosive element to his game makes him invaluable to a Reds side that will inevitably find itself in a handful of nail biters throughout the season where this dynamic player is needed. Darwin must show he is that guy.

It's a win-win for Liverpool if both play well

The saying; "steel sharpens steel" is a good one for this siutation. If Slot has two center-forwards that are pushing each other to be the best versions of themselves, the club will be the one to reap those benefits.

Jota and Nunez are more than capable of each scoring 20+ goals this season as there will be no shortage of competitive fixtures to run through.

While Jota battles fitness issues and Darwin has finishing woes, neither player is perfect. However, if both can redline their own game's, the Reds attack could very well become perfect as a whole.

It's up to the coaching staff to put them in the right roles and ultimately, it will come down to Nunez if he wants to displace those ahead of him and show the world his true worth. I for one, very much hope to see that happen.