Despite Liverpool emerging as victorious in a thrilling New Year’s Day match against Newcastle, it proved to be a frustrating game for Darwin Nuñez. The Uruguayan striker, who had previously been the hero in the reverse fixture against Newcastle in August, where he scored a late brace, had a challenging performance at a rain-soaked Anfield in January.

While Liverpool set a Premier League record-breaking xG (expected goals) and amassed numerous shots, Nuñez failed to find the back of the net. Despite his impressive link-up play with Mohamed Salah and providing an assist, his finishing remains a point of concern.

In the game against Newcastle, Nuñez accumulated an xG of 1.61 from eight shots in just over an hour, marking the highest xG for any player without scoring this season, as noted by Squawka.

Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, sought to downplay worries about Nuñez’s finishing in his post-match comments, emphasizing the forward’s overall contribution to the game. Klopp expressed confidence in Nuñez’s goal-scoring ability and suggested that external pressures, particularly on social media, might be affecting the player.

While Klopp appreciates Nuñez’s general play, the discussion around his finishing is valid. Despite breaking a 12-match goal drought against Burnley, Nuñez’s current tally of five Premier League goals from an xG of 11.13 this season leaves room for improvement in terms of goal conversion.