Darwin Nunez must have thought it was going to be another one of those days when Lukasz Fabianski tipped his powerful attempt over the bar in the opening 15 minutes at Anfield.
West Ham fans responded by taunting Liverpool’s big-money signing but by the end of the match, the Kop was on its feet as chants of “Nunez, Nunez, Nunez” reverberated around the ground.
Having endured a tough start to his Reds career, the Uruguayan is starting to repay some of the initial £64m the Reds paid Benfica for the 23-year-old in the summer.
Nunez’s winner against West Ham – his first Anfield goal for the Reds – was his third in four games, while he could have ended the night with a hat-trick.
The busy forward was twice denied by Fabianski while he also saw another attempt hit the post.
‘A fans’ favourite’
While there has never been any doubt Nunez has the talent to succeed at Liverpool, questions had surfaced whether he was feeling the pressure after his move.
After scoring one and assisting the other goal in the 2-2 draw at Fulham on his Premier League debut, Nunez’s first Premier League game at Anfield on 15 August ended in disaster when he was sent off against Crystal Palace.
Fast forward two months and he is showing the rhythm and confidence that prompted Jurgen Klopp to sign him.
Against West Ham, Nunez had six shots of which three were on target before he was replaced after 57 minutes as a precaution “after feeling his muscle”.
“You can see why he is a fans’ favourite,” former Liverpool player Steve McManaman told BT Sport.
“He has loads of chances when he plays, he is that type of player. It was a brilliant header and an eventful game for Nunez, he could have had a hat-trick.
“A lot of it is power, there is not a lot of finesse at times. He is still very raw. You have to give him time to improve but he looks dangerous.”
‘Full of confidence’
It was fitting that every outfield player went over to celebrate with Nunez after his goal and, in that moment, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.
“It’s a real lift when you score at your new club at home and Nunez is full of confidence,” former Scotland winger Pat Nevin, who was at Anfield for BBC Radio 5 Live, said.
“He’ll be thinking, ‘I’ve got one but I want more’.
“It will be interesting to see if Nunez can gel with the front four. He’s much more individual and he doesn’t link quite the same way, but maybe that’s not what’s needed. Maybe they just need a finisher.”
Nunez’s scoring burst is timely for Klopp. Having lost Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz to long-term injuries, he needs his available attacking players firing on all cylinders.
‘He was outstanding’
It is clear Nunez is still a work in progress and that there is much more to come from the player.
“He was outstanding,” said Klopp when asked about him after the game. “He is a massive talent and we’re really excited about him.”
Virgil van Dijk urged fans to be patient about Nunez, adding: “He has so much potential. He is still young and he’s learning, he’s learning the way to play and learning English.
“He is a modern-day striker which causes a lot of defenders problems.
“You could see today his runs in behind and his build up play getting better. We have different weapons to try and exploit opponents, it is good.”
Alisson, who denied Jarrod Bowen an equaliser by keeping out his penalty, added: “He scored a goal and had more chances. He helped us in the defensive phase, trying to run after the opponent and get the ball.
“He created a lot chances to score and could have scored more, but I’m happy he scored his first goal at Anfield.
“He is a good lad, works hard every day and has good mentality.”
