Liverpool’s boss criticizes Nunez’s behavior after missing a huge chance against Aston villa
Arne slot believes that Darwin Nunez allowed him greatly missing him to affect him too much at 2-2 with Aston villa and said his side “missed too many chances” this season.
The reds failed to take the opportunity to increase their premiere league to 10 points in the draw in Villa Park, but things could have been much different that Uruguay took the golden opportunity shortly after coming to Diogo Jota in the second half.
After being brought in by Domink Szobozlai with a large part of the target, Nunez failed to keep the goal while Liverpool dropped more points in the title.
Darwin Nunez misses a golden opportunity to put Liverpool forward 😬
📺 @tntssports & & @Discoveryplusuk pic.twitter.com/8f0rfedphs
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballlontnt) 19. February 2025
But instead of criticizing the 25-year-old for that chance, the slot was more involved in the negative effect that allowed forward to have the rest of his replacement.
Ahead of the crucial Sunday game against Manchester City, Liverpool chief said: “I can accept any failure, especially from a player who scored two very important goals against Brentford.
“In the game against the villa, I would prefer to score a goal, but the word” chances “says everything – it’s’ chance. It’s not 100% sure the ball comes in.
“But what was a little harder for me to accept was his behavior after that chance. And under ‘behavior’ I think he is too much in his head, and he was not the usual Darwin who works his *** and ensures that he helps the team.
“I think he was too disappointed after missing the opportunity.”
Slot: Be more like endo
The slot pointed to the attitude of the midfielder Watar Endo, as Nunez should try to mimic movement forward.
“I always believe it is best to have a way to think about Watar Endo,” added the Dutch manager. “And what I mean by that whole season is just going, it goes on and whenever we need it, it’s ready.
“And that’s hard because there are not many players who can do it. So it’s not a chance for me, but more than 20 minutes after that I want to talk to him than he misses the chance.”
Slot: ‘We missed too many chances’
Arsenal plays the day before on Saturday against West Ham and increases the pressure, closing the gap on five points ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Etihad.
Slot added: “Unfortunately, too many times this season we missed the chances. And what I mean by that I don’t think I think we stole many points. I always go back to Chelsea play when you may be drawing a fairer result.
“But for every other game I think we got what we deserved, or we deserved more – and that’s more for me than Arsenal played on Saturday and we on Sunday.”
Sunday’s opponents of City were also in action on Wednesday night as a 3-1 defeat in Real Madrid, while they collapsed from the Champions League with a 6-3 loss aggregate.
It was the latest bad result in the Under -City season, which is why they lay 17 points behind Liverpool in the fourth in the Premier League, but slot knows that his side will continue to be a big challenge in Etihad.
The 46-year-old added: “What I always expect from the city from Pep [Guardiola] Is it a great football team that can play so well. They may have had one or two months of seven or eight years now there, and they may not have been the best – partly due to injuries.
“They have signed three or four players and I see them coming back already if you look at the result against Newcastle. What you expect is what everyone expects if you go to Etihad if you play against the city.
“You also have to suffer and try to keep them away from your goal because they are so good in possession. But they face a strong team who have not lost in 22 games now.”
Trent get us level 🎯 #Avlliv pic.twitter.com/iderxpnoma
– Liverpool FC (@lfc) 20. February 2025
Tim News: Gakpo estimated in front of the city, Bradley and Gomez
Slot said “we will see”, when asked about Cody Gakpa’s fitness after the Dutch striker missed the victory last Sunday over Wolves and the draw in the villa, adding that it would be a “close invitation” to be involved in Etihad.
Liverpool chief also said he did not expect Right Bek Conor Bradley to make a city game or a conflict in the middle week with Newcastle.
Associate Joe Gomez has just had surgery to his knees, but the slot does not exclude the possibility that the Englishman returns before the end of the season.
