Erling Haaland exposes Darwin Nunez inconsistency on path to ‘legend’ status
So, in a different way, was Nunez. The difference lay in the end product. In a season when he has nine goals to Haaland’s 24, perhaps that was fitting. Nunez had four shots, three of them excellent chances, all dragged past the far post. Most were close, but it Haaland directs a higher percentage of his shots on target; 51-41 in the Premier League. They are different kinds of guarantees: Haaland of goals, Nunez of entertainment. He can offer a magnetism and an erraticism. He has an eye-catching inconsistency.
He also set up Salah’s goal. “We had chances especially using Darwin in behind where we had spaces,” Jurgen Klopp said, and it was a blistering piece of acceleration from Nunez to sprint in behind Aymeric Laporte. It showed a threat and continued a trend: his three assists for Liverpool have all been for Salah. If that burgeoning understanding bodes well, Liverpool have a need for creativity from a player whose most obvious attributes involve physicality, even if that gives him the chance to get into terrific positions.
Because while no one else has had a pair of full-backs as capable of making goals, a fundamental difference between Liverpool and City has come in midfield. Klopp has not had a Kevin de Bruyne; given Liverpool’s success in recent years, he has not always needed one. But the Belgian’s two sumptuous crosses proved the difference. If missing the World Cup may have provided a motivation for Salah and Haaland, exiting it early and ignominiously might have given De Bruyne still more drive. For him, like them, ambitions can only be realised in the club game.
Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland celebrates scoring
“He just has to find the right fire inside of himself, just to be a little bit, I would say grumpy or upset to play his best,” Pep Guardiola said.
Jan Vertonghen may have felt De Bruyne was too grumpy, disputing his analysis that Belgium were too old to win the World Cup. The Victor Meldrew of Belgian football was vindicated but City benefited from his grumpiness.
Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez shoots but fails to score
“That is his energy inside of him,” Guardiola said. “When this happens, what a player – run, assist, score a goal – he is more than a player. I know it is not easy to find every three days this consistency but today he has something inside that says, ‘I am going to it, I want to fight.’
“When this happens it is Mr Kevin de Bruyne: for eight years he has done everything for this club, an absolute legend, he will be remembered forever as one of the greatest, greatest, greatest players of this club.”
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Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne in action
A few months suggest legendary status beckons for Haaland, too, especially if he continue to benefit from De Bruyne’s passing and crossing.
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