Liverpool icon Steve Nicol has advised new manager Arne Slot to start Diogo Jota ahead of Darwin Nunez for the Premier League opener against Ipswich Town on Saturday, August 17. Nicol thinks Jota is a considerably better finisher than Nunez and will boost Slot’s chances of winning his first match as Liverpool manager.
Darwin Nunez Has Struggled To Take His Chances At Liverpool
Nineteen-time English champions Liverpool spent a hefty €85 million ($92.86 million) fee to sign Nunez from Benfica in the summer of 2022. According to reports, the Reds were impressed with the Uruguayan’s performance in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League season. He scored six times in 10 matches across the competition, with two of his goals coming against Liverpool in the quarter-finals.
Unfortunately, Nunez has yet to do justice to his lofty valuation, only managing to impress in bits and pieces. Since joining from Benfica, he has played 96 games for Liverpool, scoring 33 times and providing 17 assists. His finishing has been a major let-down, with him missing the most big chances in the Premier League across the last two seasons.
In the 2022-23 season, Nunez scored nine goals and missed 20 big chances in 29 Premier League games. In the following campaign, he bagged 11 goals in 36 games and squandered 27 big chances.
Steve Nicol Advises Arne Slot To Start Diogo Jota
Despite his poor return in front of goal, Nunez has been a regular for the Merseysiders, generally starting ahead of Jota when fit. Former Reds right-back Nicol, however, believes new manager Slot must prefer the Portuguese, at least for the Premier League opener.
Speaking on ESPN, he said:
“I think Jota is one of the best finishers in the Premier League and that’s the reason I’ve got him ahead of Nunez.
“That’s (finishing) the one thing that Nunez has to get better at. Jota is a better finisher than him and with a new manager coming in you’ve got to want to have a good start, you can’t think about the future.”
He concluded by adding:
“Right now, in terms of finishing, he’s not where he should be. Jota is where he should be and that’s why I’d start him (Jota) against Ipswich.”
Naturally a left-winger, Jota has been at Liverpool since September 2020. He has played 145 games for the Anfield outfit, scoring 56 goals and providing 19 assists.
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