Whatever weaknesses may currently linger in Darwin Nunez’ game, he is a shot machine beyond repute. His average of 5.8 efforts per 90 minutes is the most of any player in England, France, Germany, Italy or Spain this season.
Only 23 men in the top divisions in those countries have taken more shots in total, despite the fact the Liverpool new boy has played less than half of the available minutes (per FBRef). And unlike, say, Mario Balotelli, who fired off countless goal attempts from poor locations, Nunez mostly deals in decent opportunities. Just seven players in the big leagues have taken as many shots and from closer to goal on average in 2022/23.
While it’s unrealistic to expect a similar level of performance from everyone regardless of whether they are playing for their club or country – they can’t all reach Lionel Messi’s levels – Nunez was almost entirely blunt at the World Cup. The contrast between his numbers in Qatar and his stats for the Reds emphatically proves the point.
