Darwin Nunez's reaction speaks volumes after Luis Diaz heroics in Liverpool win

Darwin Nunez showed that he is a true team player after celebrating the success of , despite not being heavily involved in win over himself.

Diaz scored a hat-trick as the Reds at Anfield in the on Tuesday night. Nunez was left on the bench as instead fielded Diaz as the central attacker with and on either side.

’s international put them ahead with a deft chip before Gakpo headed in to make it 2-0. made it off the bench in the 80th minute, replacing Gakpo, and played a role in the third goal, bursting forward before losing his footing to inadvertently set up Diaz for his second.

Diaz completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to take the headlines and it seems that Nunez was more than happy to let him have the limelight. Nunez has managed just two goals in 13 appearances for Liverpool this season, but with the team having won 14 out of 16 games under Slot, he doesn’t seem too concerned.

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Replying to a tweet from Liverpool’s account celebrating Diaz’s first hat-trick for the club, the Uruguay international simply posted a fire emoji.

Slot is without the injured Diogo Jota, yet on the weekend that he doesn’t see Nunez as the ideal replacement in the No.9 position. But the Dutchman tried to reassure him in the wake of another win which came courtesy of his team-mates.

Asked about Diaz, Slot said: “Not only the people in Colombia like and love Lucho, the fans of Liverpool love him a lot as well. I heard many times the fans singing his song. And the manager likes him a lot as well – I don't love him but I like him a lot!

“He's played many, many games but I just said something about Darwin Nunez: in the and the Champions League, you have to play so many games at the highest level and it's not always possible for every player to play every game, especially in certain positions.

“So, if you are a centre-back, normally you run not as much as a left-winger or a full-back or a midfielder – and especially our wingers. But because you all look at the goals Lucho scored and the goals Cody scored, I also look at the fact how hard they track back, how much they have to defend. I ask a lot from them, so that's why sometimes we have to rotate them. But Lucho, for me, is a starter. And I said this three days ago about Cody as well – he's, for me, a starter also.”

Slot has been complimentary of Nunez’s work-rate, but the fact he can’t get into the team when Jota and Federico Chiesa are unavailable is telling. He is likely to remain on the substitutes’ bench when Liverpool host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday before the international break.

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