They forgave him, gave him chances, and hoped he would change, but it was all in vain—Darwin Nunez remains the same. The Uruguayan, known primarily for his misses since arriving at Anfield, once again “shone in full glory” last night in Birmingham.Liverpool slip again, as Villa grab a much-deserved drawLiverpool drew with Aston Villa at Villa Park, and more than the team’s poor performances in the last ten days—one win in four matches across all competitions—the focus has been on the Uruguayan striker and his latest miss.Just a minute or two after coming on, Nunez found himself in a promising position and squandered it. Dominik Szoboszlai selflessly set him up at the far post, and with an open goal in front of him, the former Benfica striker sent the ball over the crossbar at full sprint. According to English media, this was a crucial moment that cost Liverpool three points in Birmingham, as his miss came in the 68th minute when the score was 2-2—the final result of the match.Arne Slot appeared to ask the official “Not offside?” after Darwin Nunez’s second half miss 😬 pic.twitter.com/Kec3fVEvFE— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) February 19, 2025 “With a ten-point lead and 12 games to go, along with an unconvincing rival, Liverpool would almost certainly be on the path to the Premier League title. But Darwin was Darwin once again. His tendency for the most disastrous mistakes never ceases to amaze. This is the kind of miss that Liverpool may come to regret,” wrote The Telegraph the day after the match.Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler also had an interesting take on Nunez’s performance.”He’s not focused enough on the game. If you’re unsure, you have to go back to the basics—passing, receiving the ball, playing in tight spaces. The simple things. But he doesn’t think. This miss was bad, really bad. One of the worst we’ve seen this year. His miss was almost criminal. This simply shouldn’t be happening. That’s why you worry about Darwin Nunez, you wonder if he’s thinking enough about the game,” Fowler said to TNT Sports.”It’s a really bad miss, probably up there with one of the worst we’ve seen this year!” Robbie Fowler reflects on Darwin Nunez’s missed opportunity against Aston Villa pic.twitter.com/0n7fO6pPSf— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 19, 2025 However, manager Arne Slot didn’t criticize him for the miss itself as much as for allowing it to affect his performance.”I would have liked him to score, but the word ‘chance’ says it all. It’s a chance, so there’s no certainty that the ball will go in. Players miss chances, and I can accept that. What’s harder to accept is his reaction after the miss. That moment got into his head, because usually, Darwin gives everything to help the team after a mistake. I think he was too disappointed after missing that chance, and I believe—though we’ll never know for sure—that it made him slightly weaker for the rest of the match,” Slot said in his post-match press conference.The solution? Follow Wataru Endo’s example, says the Dutch coach.🗣️ “It’s not about the chance, it’s about the 20 minutes afterwards”Arne Slot says Darwin Nunez was ‘too disappointed’ following his miss against Aston Villa last night 🔴 pic.twitter.com/sxB6lK5dWj— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 20, 2025 “I truly believe the best mindset is Wataru’s. What I mean by that is, throughout the season, he keeps working and is always ready when we need him. That’s very difficult—not many players can do that. So for me, it’s not about the missed chance, but I want to talk to him about the 20 minutes that followed,” added the former Feyenoord manager.Following the criticism in the British media and social media reactions, Nunez himself responded.”I wasn’t the best three weeks ago, nor am I the worst now. If I fall, I’ll get up. You will never see me give up. I will give my all until my last day at Liverpool. Resistance!” wrote the Uruguayan.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 29WednesdayAston Villa – Liverpool 2-2 (2-1)/Tielemans 38, Watkins 45+3 – Salah 29, Alexander-Arnold 61/Friday23.00: (3.40) Leicester (3.50) Brentford (2.10)Saturday15.30: (2.60) Everton (3.15) Man.Utd. (2.85)18.00: (1.30) Arsenal (5.20) West Ham (11.0)18.00: (1.65) Bournemouth (3.80) Wolverhampton (5.40)18.00: (2.15) Fulham (3.40) Crystal Palace (3.40)18.00: (3.50) Ipswich (3.50) Tottenham (2.05)18.00: (5.50) Southampton (3.90) Brighton (1.63)20.30: (2.75) Aston Villa (3.45) Chelsea (2.50)Sunday17.00: (1.85) Newcastle (3.60) Nott.Forest (4.30)***odds are subject to change***
