Another game and another win for Arne Slot’s Reds as they defeated RB Leipzig away from home in a 1-0 win, with the focus on the man who won the match, Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan’s lone goal was enough to see Liverpool through in the third leg of the Champions League as the defense limited Leipzig’s chances of winning the xG battle 2.38-0.76 even without Alisson in the net. Now that the Reds have found their feet, they are favoring quality over quantity in their attacks as they direct the opposition’s attacks into favorable areas.
They hit a speed bump by losing to Nottingham Forest, as they made it eight consecutive wins while scoring nineteen goals and conceding just four. It’s an impressive feat that came even as Liverpool saw the level of competition rise and injuries strike.
One of the latest injuries they have had to deal with is to forward Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward is out with an injury and while the severity is not known at this time, it does present an opportunity for Nunez to take the lead. Although the Uruguayan has no shortage of confidence, his finishing in his Liverpool career leaves much to be desired. An advantage of the Slot system is that it forces the mercurial forward to shoot from better positions rather than shooting from anywhere on the field.
That could be something that helps improve his final product. While the ball Nunez scored on is something that went in without him touching it, it could be a turning point in his season. Coming off the bench so far, Jota, if not fit, will be needed against Arsenal this weekend.
Liverpool are already at the top of the Premier League, but if they take on Chelsea, RB Leipzig and Arsenal in less than ten days it would show that this is more than just a new managerial bump for Liverpool, but instead a refinement of Jurgen Klopp’s system to create real players. title candidates. Arsenal will have their own problems during the match Injuries and suspensions have hampered Mikel Arteta’s options.
All Liverpool can do is play the teams in front of them, but William Saliba’s absence will make it a little easier for Nunez to get back in the back of the net. Scoring in consecutive games is the first step to creating a new trend and if Nunez can do that, it could unlock a new outfit in Slot’s offense.