Darwin Nunez Silences Fans with Luis Suarez-Esque Finish

Darwin Nunez silenced the fans inside Dean Court on Wednesday night, with a finish many Liverpool fans saw as similar to an early Luis Suarez effort. Jurgen Klopp hailed it as an “unbelievable” goal, with Nunez coming off the bench to seal the Reds a 2-1 victory in the League Cup fourth round.

It came after jeers from the Bournemouth supporters for a loose touch on the left-hand side, but resulted in a sublime finish cutting onto his right foot. That strike means Nunez is currently averaging a goal or assist every 56.3 minutes this season, with seven goals and five assists in 14 appearances so far. And supporters on social media spotted its similarity to a finish from Suarez in the League Cup victory over Stoke back in 2011.

Comparisons Between Nunez and Suarez

Comparisons between Nunez and Suarez are predictable, given they are both Uruguayan No. 9s who played for Liverpool, but there are certainly similarities. Largely, that comes in their mentality as strikers, with Nunez shaking off the boos to deliver another big moment for the Reds in midweek.

It would be overkill at this stage to suggest the 24-year-old could explode like his compatriot, who scored 82 goals and assisted another 46 in 133 to cement himself as one of Liverpool’s best-ever players. But Nunez is shaking off early criticisms of his game and finally establishing himself as undroppable within Klopp’s setup. He will be reunited with Suarez this month, too, with reports in Uruguay suggesting the Gremio striker is set to be named in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad for World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia.

Nunez’s Mentality as a Striker

Nunez has been praised for his mentality as a striker, with his ability to shake off jeers from the crowd and deliver a world-class finish being likened to Suarez’s own mentality. The Uruguayan No. 9 has been praised for his short sleeves, wrist tape, finger to the ear celebration, signature heart and Suarez celebration, Vamos shout and fist bump to the crowd.

It’s clear that Nunez is beginning to establish himself as an undroppable part of Klopp’s team, and while it would be overkill to suggest he could reach the heights of Suarez, he is certainly showing signs of being able to do so. With reports suggesting he will be reunited with Suarez this month for World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia, it will be interesting to see how the two Uruguayan No. 9s fare together.