Liverpool manager Arne Slot has outlined two key factors he believes will help cultivate consistency in the unpredictable forward Darwin Nunez.
Nunez scored an impressive goal in Liverpool’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, marking his first goal of the season and only his second in the league since March, following a goal drought at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
The £85 million signing has showcased his potential, netting 18 goals across all competitions last season, but he has also left fans frustrated at times for not consistently delivering outstanding performances since his arrival in 2022.
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Slot emphasized that achieving consistency is a collective effort. “I think consistency comes from two things: work rate and team performance,” he explained after the match. “If the team’s performance isn’t consistent, it’s challenging for an individual to be consistent as well. We need to build our habits daily on the training ground and in matches to foster that consistency. By working on our habits, we create consistency.”
He added, “That’s what we aim to do every day. He had a good game today, and hopefully, he can continue that on Wednesday against West Ham in the Carabao Cup, but we’ll see.”
Nunez’s goal came when Liverpool was already 2-0 up in the first half, as he fired a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Slot admitted he initially hesitated when Nunez decided to shoot. “My first instinct when he shot was to wonder why he didn’t keep dribbling,” he said. “The defender was on the ground, and the ball was free. But then I saw it go in off the post, and I thought, ‘OK, maybe you’re a better football player than I was in the past!’ Good choice by him.”