Rio Ferdinand has said that one Liverpool player must be a ‘nightmare’ for opponents and compared him to a former Anfield favourite.
Darwin Nunez wasn’t among the goalscorers in the Reds’ 4-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday night, but that was down to cruelly bad luck more than anything else as he struck the woodwork no fewer than four times.
However, the ex-Manchester United defender looked past that to recognise the 24-year-old’s overall performance and predict that the goals will soon flow for the Uruguayan.
Ferdinand said on punditry duty for TNT Sports: “Nunez today, he did everything but score a goal. He will be a nightmare for centre-backs to play against.
“He runs you into bad places, he is aggressive, he ricochets everything – a bit like [Luis] Suarez used to do, in some ways. He is a handful who I think will end up getting goals.”
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It’s refreshing to hear pundits acknowledging Nunez’s overall brilliance rather than going with the lazy option of criticising him for not scoring, especially after a night where – as Ferdinand said – the 24-year-old did everything but find the net.
The Uruguayan’s constant movement never gives opposition defences a moment of peace, and he tormented the likes of Thiago Silva, especially in the lead-up to the clinching goal for Luis Diaz on Wednesday.
Even when fortune isn’t going the way of the Reds’ number 9, he never shies away from the action or lets his head drop, always showing a determination to make his all-action displays count in the form of goals.
Just like Suarez in his prime at Anfield, Nunez is an effervescent attacker who opponents must hate facing, and we’ve every confidence that the luck which deserted him last night will soon arrive in spades for Liverpool.