Jamie Carragher has explained where Liverpool went wrong against Brighton at the weekend and has insisted that they are not the same side without Darwin Nunez.
Jugen Klopp’s side have been off the pace all season, but their 3-0 collapse at Brighton was perhaps the worst we have seen them so far.
The Reds have now lost back-to-back Premier League matches and are 10 points adrift from the top four. An accumulation of injuries has left Klopp’s side looking more vulnerable than ever.
Nunez missed Liverpool’s match at the weekend, although he is expected to return soon. Carragher believes that without Nunez, Liverpool lack a threat in the final third.
The pundit told the Kopite Podcast: “I think Nunez was a massive miss at Brighton. As of late we’ve been playing in basketball games, but against Brighton we got battered.
“We never looked like scoring. With Nunez, I know he misses chances, but you always feel like something is going to happen. Right now I want Nunez back as soon as possible.
“All of those players are important, Van Dijk of course, the attackers, we have nothing from the bench at the top-end of the pitch.
“He’s had a little bit of stick, but I think he’s had a really good season Nunez. I think he could get another 10 goals or so from now until the end of the season. I think he should be really pleased with the first season he’s had.”
There’s no doubt that Nunez has divided options since his move to the Premier League this summer. While he has been guilty of missing some chances, he does make Liverpool a more dynamic attacking unit.
Across his 23 appearances for Liverpool, Nunez has scored 10 goals in all competitions, with five of those goals coming in the Premier League.
Klopp himself was apologetic after the Brighton defeat. He told reporters: “There was no moment in the game where we could get a little lift and go from there and the outcome is horrible to watch.
“Everybody with a Brighton shirt on or a Brighton heart enjoyed the game a lot and I don’t think anybody with a Liverpool heart enjoyed it for a second. I have nothing good to say about this game.
“It’s my job to make the right line-up, to set up the right tactics, a lot of things.
“I’m not sure if it’s because the game is still only a few minutes ago but I can’t remember a worse game – and I mean all, not only Liverpool. And that’s my responsibility. That makes it a really low point.
“It’s fully my responsibility because I had an idea with a different formation and that didn’t work out – sorry.”
Next up for Liverpool is an FA Cup replay against Wolves Molineux. Klopp’s side will surely have to produce a better performance than they did at the weekend.
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