Liverpool kept their Premier League title hopes alive by coming back to secure a 1-1 draw against Manchester City this afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp was hoping he could build on their 3-0 victory over Brentford prior to the International break, yet it didn’t take long for Erling Haaland to open the scoring for the hosts, becoming the player to reach 50 Premier League goals in the fewest games in the process.
The Reds had their chances during the tie, with Darwin Nunez being guilty of missing a few, but they roared back in the second half and Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the equaliser with just ten minutes of normal time remaining.
The result will give Klopp a major confidence boost, yet a few players weren’t quite at the races, most notably Nunez.
Darwin Núñez’s game vs Man City in numbers
Throughout his spell on the pitch, the striker only managed to take 23 touches, which was 34 fewer than Alisson in goal, proving he was often isolated through the middle.
The Uruguayan was also a lightweight in terms of one-on-one battles against City this afternoon, winning just one duel out of seven contested, as well as losing possession six times.
While he did manage four shots in total during the tie, only one was on target, and he even missed a big chance, something which is becoming quite a recurring theme, having been unsurprisingly branded a measly 4/10 match rating, as per GOAL's Tom Maston.
He could have made all the difference against a resolute City defence today, yet Nunez was poor and turned into Klopp’s main villain in a match where three points could have turned the tables in the title race.
Darwin Núñez’s season in numbers
The 24-year-old has actually enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, finally delivering on the hype that was generated surrounding his arrival last summer.
Across all competitions, he has managed to find the back of the net on seven occasions, grabbing six assists in the process and the City clash was only the fifth time in the league this season that he didn’t register a goal or an assist, indicating how consistent he has been.
Nunez also ranks first across the whole Liverpool squad for shots on target per game (1.4) in the top flight, along with ranking third for big chances created (four), yet he tops the pile for big chances missed with 11 and this is clearly something that needs to be worked on.
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His lack of ruthlessness in front of goal was highlighted against Pep Guardiola's side and if he wants to take that next step, his finishing must improve.
Liverpool have a sublime talent who has certainly settled in at Anfield following a rough debut campaign, but there are a few kinks to iron out and, hopefully, Klopp is the man to do just that.
The draw against the champions will invigorate the Anfield side and prove they can mix it with the big boys on any given day.
Now, more consistency must be added and if they can head into the festive season within touching distance, Liverpool could perhaps win a second Premier League crown.