Darwin Nunez’s first pre-season tour with Liverpool has brought him more blisters than goals. A second half-hour outing was equally unproductive for him, even as his team rebounded from the 4-0 defeat to Manchester United by beating Crystal Palace 2-0, but it nevertheless offered a glimpse of why the £64 million forward has been signed and an indication of Jurgen Klopp’s attempts to integrate him.
Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah, who started and finished with the captain’s armband respectively, got the goals in Singapore. While Klopp used 31 players, after deploying 32 against United – this time, there were two more recognisable line-ups with the youngsters only emerging en masse for the final 15 minutes - it is notable that Nunez’s two cameos have come in the same forward line as Salah.
He was impeded by problems with his feet against United. There were signs of an embryonic understanding versus Palace. A fine chance was supplied by the Egyptian, with the Uruguayan shooting at Vicente Guaita. From a more acute angle, and after evading a host of defenders, he angled another effort at the Palace keeper later. Yet it amounted to two chances, one largely forged by himself, in his first quarter of an hour on the pitch for Nunez. The defining feature of a Klopp forward tends not to be a clinical touch, though some have demonstrated it, as much as persistence and an ability to get into goalscoring positions.
Predatory as ever and looking sharp, Salah opened his account for pre-season in trademark fashion, even if a deflection off Joachim Andersen confounded Guaita. His strike stemmed from the established combination on the right flank, with Trent Alexander-Arnold finding him with a backheel. The opener came from the same wing but a different dynamic.
Harvey Elliott supplied the cutback for Henderson to curl in a shot. If the primacy and fitness records of Salah and Alexander-Arnold may suggest it is only an issue for lesser matches, Klopp nevertheless prospered with a right-sided trio who are all midfielders by trade: James Milner, who served as a playmaker from right-back, and Elliott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, two each capable of operating in midfield and forward interchanging positions adeptly.
In old parlance, Elliott can be inside-right and outside-right and each was evident as he was arguably the outstanding player in the first half. He sliced a shot wide after a third-man run following a combination of the trio: Milner’s pass from deep, Oxlade-Chamberlain laying the ball off. He almost sent Curtis Jones in on goal. Klopp argued recently that Elliott was Liverpool’s best player in their first four games last season, before breaking his ankle at Elland Road, and it was a reminder that he offers a more creative alternative to Henderson as the right-sided No. 8. Rewind a year and Liverpool could create triangles on the right with the trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Elliott and Salah. Rewind a week and Klopp cited the promise of his young midfielders as a reason not to buy.
Their versatility adds to their appeal. Some of the minutes Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi got in the front three last season could go to a combination of Elliott, Jones and Fabio Carvalho this year and the summer arrival from Fulham came on as the left winger. Cutting infield, he had a shot pushed wide. The older Oxlade-Chamberlain started as the right winger, got into promising positions and injured himself while shooting. A stop-start Anfield career may have another interruption.
Injuries are presenting other issues. Joe Gomez’s absence was a precaution but Klopp described Diogo Jota’s hamstring problem as “a concern”. The Portuguese is yet to feature in pre-season – an influential display from Roberto Firmino could increase his chance of starting the season in the team – while Alisson, who did play against Manchester United, was missing with an injury that Klopp deemed “not cool” even though he does not expect the goalkeeper to be sidelined for long. It is Leipzig next for Liverpool as Nunez’s quest for a first goal will continue.
