How has new Liverpool signing, Darwin Nunez, impacted the club so far and approaches Jurgen Klopp should take to maximise the player effectiveness
Darwin Nunez has had a huge impact on Liverpool's attacking play following his big money move from Benfica.
The 23-year-old has scored two goals and assisted one other goal for Liverpool this season. Additionally, Nunez creates a remarkable xG difference when he plays — 2.2 higher per 90 minutes — than when he doesn’t play. Nunez took nine of the Reds shots while on the field so far this season.
While the former Benfica man has been a part of Liverpool’s team for just 127 minutes, the club has already secured 5.1 expected goals in league play. This is largely due to Liverpool’s excellent track record of creating 'big' chances, which are defined as highly probable scoring opportunities for attackers.
Nunez provided 4.3 chances and took 2.7 shots per 90 minutes of playing time in the Premier League this season. This is a higher stat than he achieved while playing for Fiorentina FC in the 2015/2016 season. However, the difference was only 0.1 chances and 0.1 shots per 90 minutes of playing time. Additionally, it's dangerous to draw conclusions based on how a team performs with and without a specific player.
Klopp's team are gradually moving past Roberto Firmino. Darwin Nunez's signing provides the squad with a forward in the conventional style.
How Jurgen Klopp can Maximize Darwin Nunez performance
Outside Liverpool needing a new midfielder, we have seen Jurgen Klopp's team frequently changing their approach in the past to avoid being predictable. They've implemented many evolutions to their playing style over the course of their tenure. This even includes making multiple changes within the same football season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's increased use of central positions in 2022 facilitated his lead of the Premier League in passes through to teammates. This also had a positive effect on the team when it came to attacking the opposition.
Jurgen Klopp recently signed Darwin Nunez as his main forward. Nunez's presence impacted the Reds' side in a positive way. His presence gave Klopp a more conventionally styled center forward than he'd had in some time.