Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has heaped praise on Darwin Nunez for his performance against Fulham, claiming he was the driving force behind the Reds’ comeback win.
Liverpool Had To Dig Deep For Their Carabao Cup Win Over Fulham
Premier League leaders Liverpool welcomed Fulham to Anfield for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night (January 10). Playing without the likes of Mohamed Salah (AFCON duty) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee injury), the Merseysiders struggled to get a foothold against the London side. Former Chelsea star Willian put the visitors in front in the 19th minute, and Liverpool failed to come up with a reply in the first 45.
The Merseysiders, however, bounced back with a bang in the second 45, courtesy of a spirited performance from Nunez. Coming off the bench in the 56th minute, the Uruguayan was like a live wire on the pitch, breaching the final third with ease and creating chances on cue. In the 68th minute, Nunez played the ball into Curtis Jones’ path, who found the back of the net from 25 yards out, thanks to a deflection.
Three minutes later, Nunez showcased tremendous composure to cut the ball back into the box, leading to an easy finish for Cody Gakpo. The hosts held firm for the next 19 odd minutes to ensure a 2-1 victory.
Redknapp Hails Nunez’s Massive Impact Against Fulham
Analyzing the game on Sky Sports, Redknapp singled Nunez out for praise, saying his energy and creativity led to Klopp’s side’s hard-fought victory.
Redknapp stated (via The Mirror):
“Darwin Nunez really gave then impetus when he came on. They certainly miss [Mohamed] Salah, [Dominik] Szoboszlai, Trent [Alexander-Arnold]. Their creativity. Nunez was the real difference for Liverpool. He gave them energy, running down the sides, getting into good areas.
“That’s exactly what they needed. He gave the Fulham centre-backs so many problems. His movement was so good. [For the second goal] you can see Nunez making the run. He’s frustrated he doesn’t get the first pass but now he thinks ‘I’m on again, can I get down the side?’. He does, takes a good first touch and plays it back into the area [for Gakpo to score].”
Nunez has been in decent form for the 19-time English champions this season. Playing 30 games for the club in all competitions, the 24-year-old has struck eight times and provided 10 assists.
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