Liverpool started the Premier League season with ambitions and expectations to challenge and defend the title.
That goal is out of reach. Arsenal are too far ahead. However, Arne Slott’s side are competitive in the FA Cup and Champions League, and if they fail to win either of these competitions, this will be a season to remember for the Reds.
However, if Liverpool also finish outside of the top five in the Premier League and miss out on qualifying for Europe’s elite stage, the memory of this miserable season will be seared into fans’ minds.
After a summer of record spending, this would be inexcusable.
There are a lot of variables, but the additions of players like Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz have given Slots the most talented forwards in the world at their disposal.
Indeed, they are being billed as an upgrade over Darwin Nuñez, who left for Al Hilal of the Saudi Pro League.
How is Darwin Nunez doing post-Liverpool?
Liverpool’s forwards are starting to come into their own. For example, Ekitike looks like an incredible equivalent upgrade over Nunez, who joined Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in 2022 for an initial transfer fee of £65 million.
The 26-year-old has endured a turbulent period on Merseyside, but that’s no mistake, and his sale to Al Hilal last summer came as no surprise to anyone.
The plain truth is that Nunez was not good enough for title-winning Liverpool. He scored 40 goals and provided 26 assists in 143 games at Anfield, but often missed chances in front of goal and did not feel responsible in the final third.
Darwin Nunes – Last 5 Seasons (All Comps) | ||
|---|---|---|
season | app | Goal + Assist |
25/26 (Al Hilal) | twenty four | 9+5 |
24/25 – Liverpool | 47 | 7+7 |
23/24 – Liverpool | 54 | 18+15 |
22/23 – Liverpool | 42 | 15+4 |
21/22 – Benfica | 41 | 34+4 |
FSG’s major summer changes were implemented to put an end to this debauchery, and the slot has decided to include a new version of Nunez in the mix this season.
Liverpool star becomes new Nunez
Since joining Liverpool in a £40m deal in January 2023, Kodi Gakpo has ebbed and flowed. By the time he arrived, Klopp’s system was broken so it was a difficult place to get to.
Then Liverpool came back. They won the Carabao Cup and then the Premier League, but now they have fallen again.
It was a bold move by sporting director Richard Hughes and others who decided to release Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich last summer and replace him.
Young genius Rio Ngmoha was thought to be a good enough replacement for Gakpo, but the 17-year-old had little chance.
Gakpo remains a talented and versatile forward and returned to form against Brighton in the FA Cup. But the danger is that, like Nunez, he is being reduced to a standout moment amidst more gray, a flash of quality.
This move, which was once a trademark of the former PSV Eindhoven sensation, has become well-worn. Gather on the left side, move inside and aim for the goal. Last year was devastating, but the contrast couldn’t be greater since the summer.
Furthermore, Gakpo lacks the easy partnership with left-back Milos Kerkes that Liverpool analysts had envisaged. This had a negative impact on the club’s widespread tactical fluency.
If you look at the data alone, you can see that Gakpo hasn’t completely lost his form this season, but that’s all you can say from the data alone. Like Nunez, Gakpo has developed a habit of repeating the same thing over and over again, even when things don’t go well.
Slot PL Gakupo | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per 90) | 24/25 | 25/26 |
Match (start) | 35(23) | 24(20) |
Goal + Assist | 10+4 | 5+3 |
touch | 27.7 | 39.3 |
Number of shots (on target)* | 1.6 (0.7) | 2.3(0.5) |
Exact path* | 13.1 (84%) | 18.3 (80%) |
A big opportunity has arisen | 11 | 8 |
Loss of ownership* | 7.0 | 11.5 |
It was successful. dribble* | 0.9 (60%) | 1.1 (58%) |
Ball recovery rate* | 2.2 | 2.5 |
Tackle + Interception* | 1.1 | 1.0 |
Duel (win)* | 3.1 (51%) | 4.6 (53%) |
The most frustrating thing about Nunez is that he is a very talented player. In this respect, Gakpo shows some similarities. The Dutch international has created an average of 1.6 chances and won 4.6 duels per game in the Premier League this season, and has only missed three big chances while scoring five goals.
On the right wing, Mohamed Salah has really struggled this season. The decline was undeniably severe. However, the 33-year-old has been at the club for many years and Liverpool fan spokesperson John Sullivan said Gakpo was a “much bigger problem than Salah”.
The Dutchman, hailed by Klopp for his “special” qualities, is supposed to be in his physical prime, but he has been predictable and frustrating and has not been able to display his skills in a similar way to Nunez in recent years.
FSG could become Liverpool’s biggest signing since Szoboszlai with £100m star
Real Madrid are interested in Liverpool’s star player this season.
