Liverpool’s ‘nervous breakdown’ in danger of becoming the next Darwin Nunez

An outrageous last-gasp goal from Fulham substitute Harrison Reid snatched victory from Liverpool and summed up the season for Arne Slott’s side.

Moments before that, Kodi Gakpo scored what appeared to be the deciding goal, heading home after a sharp cross from substitute Jeremy Frimpong, but Liverpool were unstoppable with the stunning goal, marking back-to-back draws in the Premier League.

To be honest, the champions have fared well below expected standards this season, and while their unbeaten record in all competitions has grown to nine, there is plenty of work to be done for a struggling and lackluster team.

Liverpool were in control of the ball and, as Slott claimed, Fulham rarely attempted Alisson’s goal. But this is a team stripped of confidence, spontaneity and creativity, and it showed at Craven Cottage.

What went wrong for Liverpool against Fulham

Slott spoke after the game about the achievements he has made in recent weeks, but there is no doubt that Liverpool fans are fed up with the club’s lack of the spark and consistency they once had as an elite attacking force.

Liverpool were not only duller than before, they were duller. And they spent nearly £450m in the summer transfer window, breaking English transfer records not once but twice through the signings of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.

The boards supporting this project are creaking and will soon crack. To be fair, Liverpool have improved. Although the second half produced more purpose and drive, the Merseysiders still only produced a total of 1.45 xG for the entire contest, unable to produce and sustain fluent attacking football with their makeshift front line.

The visitors will have been left feeling pretty frustrated by Reid’s brilliant strike, but it was the latest example of inefficient attacking play, with a creative unit unable to focus and set direction.

Slott has sought to establish more control at Liverpool, but this has come at the expense of creative expression. However, there are some players who have struggled to achieve balance and coordination in the starting lineup, some of whom have even been dubbed Liverpool’s new version of Darwin Nunez.

Liverpool sign new player Darwin Nunez

Jamie Carragher can be a controversial figure online when he’s at his best, and a Sky Sports pundit proved this once again before the Liverpool game in west London when he claimed Milos Kerkes was “like having Darwin Nunez at left-back”.

It was a harsh twist on past sentiments for Trent Alexander-Arnold. But there is something to be said about the Hungarian’s instability and lack of composure in the left channel, who is yet to put it all together after completing a £45m move from Bournemouth.

Pundit Jamie Redknapp also branded the 22-year-old a “neural breakdown” earlier in the season after Manchester United’s shock win over Slott’s side at Anfield.

Kelkes has improved with the team defensively in recent weeks, but he remains controversial with a lack of purpose through his playmaking. That became clear after his performance at Fulham.

Liverpool World gave him a match rating of 6/10, acknowledging his competent defending, but according to Sofascore, Kerkes was flattered to deceive from a more attacking direction, failing each of his three attempted crosses and failing to create a single chance for a team looking for further inspiration. Furthermore, the 64-touch talent didn’t even attempt to dribble or shoot. At least he won all his duels, including solo tackles.

When he compares this season to the 2024-25 season at Bournemouth, where he won the PFA Team of the Year award, it is clear he has struggled to produce the same level.

Kerkes has to do more, but there’s no denying that he’s been conservative and lackluster in recent weeks and has been held back somewhat by Slott’s coaching. He is aggressive, but that aggression must be controlled and molded into something that will allow Liverpool to break through tough defences.

It worked, but Querquez’s prospects remain a bit unconvincing and he needs to acquire the perfection that has evaded Nunez throughout the Uruguayan’s three spells on Merseyside.

Overall, this is a young player stepping into a system that didn’t mesh well this season. Improvements are needed, but the hope is that over time Mr. Kerkes will achieve the necessary results and begin to garner more positive comments.