Why is Uruguay's Darwin Núñez a flop at Liverpool?

Even before Erling Haaland donned the light blue jersey of Manchester City, everything seemed to fit for him. The youngster knew the city and the club because his father, Alfie Haaland, had played for the club, and Pep Guardiola showed him a system that won him over. He has shown in days what took others months. He has shown he understands the intricacies of the Catalan coach's tactical system and has converted that understanding into goals and more goals. To be precise, 12 in eight games. Stratospheric numbers.

Only two games have escaped without his name on the score sheet: the match against Fulham in the Premier League and the Community Shield. This was his debut and the Norwegian's missed chance to win his first title went viral. It went to Liverpool, and the sentence to make it happen was signed by Darwin Nunez with his head.

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The failure of Haaland and the success of Darwin, as well as the recent arrival of both, made the narrative (sport also lives on its stories) invite a duel between the Uruguayan and the Norwegian. Now, the reality of both is quite different. If Haaland appears as indisputable in City's line-ups and the great weapon to get closer to the long-awaited Champions League (today, 21h, new opportunity against Dortmund), the role of Darwin Núñez is still unclear in Liverpool.

In England, they are questioning his adaptation to the Reds, especially after not starting the second matchday of the Champions League group stage against Ajax. After a 4-1 defeat at Napoli in the first matchday, Liverpool were playing with Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. The star signing was again left on the bench.

Núnez has a rivalry with Haaland

In the middle of the second half, Klopp gave him the chance and Darwin tried with more will than success (one shot on goal, 64% passing accuracy, two duels won). It was Matip, finally, who had to save Liverpool, who drew 1-1 with goals from Salah and Kudus in the first half. Neither the European nights at Anfield nor the Premier League afternoons have yet seen the best Darwin, who is suffering in this first third of the campaign despite his brilliant start (goal against City, goal and assist against Fulham) which was complicated after his suspension for the incidents against Crystal Palace. Artigas is still looking for his place and goals. These will be the best argument to open again the duel with Haaland.