Luis Diaz growth shows Liverpool don't need to fret over Darwin Nunez issue

Liverpool's has to date, ranking him third behind (72) and Ollie Watkins (53) over the same period. Despite this, the Uruguayan has managed to net 22 goals in England's top-flight since the start of the 2022/23 season, compared to Haaland's 75 and Watkins' 39.

Unlike s Haaland and 's Watkins, Nunez has never been a guaranteed starter and has struggled to match their goal-scoring prowess. His raw talent is undeniable, but he can be inconsistent in front of goal, as demonstrated in Liverpool's at Anfield.

Nunez scored the opener after outmaneuvering goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez but later missed two clear-cut opportunities. While his goal was a positive sign, there have been numerous occasions where he has failed to capitalize on one-on-one situations, with a memorable miss against Toulouse last season being a prime example.

Nunez's goal execution might have been less flamboyant than his remarkable chip against Brentford last February, but it still captured attention, including that of ex-Reds striker Michael Owen. Owen expressed his admiration online: "That finish from Darwin Nunez yesterday was insane," he posted.

"I can't stop watching it. And I can't begin to explain how difficult a skill that is. Moving at pace, the ball running away from you, being inside the box with no room for error. Incredible. But, it is also further proof that if he is to get closer to becoming the great player many people think he can be, he has to adapt his way of thinking.

"I mean, to even consider that finish is madness. It's a 1 in 10, 2 in 10 finish at best. Learning to slot, dink or go round the GK is a far more productive way to score and will increase his chances to 4 or 5 in 10, thus massively increasing his end return. "I'm really not trying to rain on his parade as that goal was pure class. But I'd rather see it when Liverpool are 3-0 up, not at 0-0! "

With his straightforward rounding of Villa's Martinez, it appears Nunez may be subconsciously taking on board Owen's words, even if his choice of effort against Villa might have been made trickier with a bulky first touch and the need to score from a tight angle. Reflect on his two missed opportunities and it's clear that the rawness and inconsistency are still very much in play.

Consider Nunez's other two goals this season - a spectacular long-range strike against AFC Bournemouth and a tap-in against RB Leipzig. These two extremes perhaps further underscore that he is not yet a complete player. When Arne Slot took over as Liverpool's head coach, there was optimism that he would enhance Nunez and his colleagues' performance.

After all, Slot has a history of boosting strikers' goal-scoring records at his previous clubs. He addressed this directly in September when Nunez was absent from Liverpool's starting line-up, using Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez as an example for the Uruguayan international.

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The Mexican striker only scored twice in the first half of the Dutch league season upon his arrival two years ago but netted 26 times in 41 appearances in all competitions last season. "Santiago is a good example of a player who scores a lot of goals, but if you look at the amount of time he played in the first half of the season when I arrived, it wasn't much," said the Liverpool head coach.

"It took him some time to adjust to the intense playing style we demand, and then his goals started coming. If you look back at my entire tenure at Feyenoord, all the forwards scored their goals." Nunez has certainly been making strides, particularly in the absence of Diogo Jota, having started four out of the last five matches for the Reds in both the Premier League and Champions League, contributing two goals and an assist. However, he's still a work in progress.

On the other hand, , who was expected to improve significantly under Slot, has arguably shown the most growth. Despite scoring a career-best 13 goals for Liverpool last season, Diaz faced criticism for not being prolific enough in front of goal.

This season, however, the 27-year-old Colombian is on track to surpass his previous record, with nine goals in his name so far. Only Mohamed Salah (10) has scored more. Diaz's tally includes a hat-trick in the 4-0 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen, a performance that even surprised Slot. With Nunez sidelined, Diaz has emerged as a new central attacking option for Liverpool.

But he's not the only one thriving under Slot. Alongside his 10 goals, Salah has provided 10 assists in just 17 appearances, while Cody Gakpo and Jota have netted six and four goals from eight and nine starts, respectively. All of Slot's Feyenoord forwards found the back of the net, and the same can be said for Liverpool. With Diaz being the most improved, Liverpool fans are hopeful that the Dutch head coach can have a similar impact on Nunez in the long run.

Slot hasn't yet cracked the £85 million ($108 million) conundrum of consistently getting the best out of the club's record signing. However, small steps are being made, with the superior form of Nunez's attacking colleagues this season perhaps hinting at what could still be on the horizon.