Liverpool manager criticises Darwin Núñez's lack of sacrifice: "I can't accept it"

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has criticised Darwin Núñez's lack of effort and has singled it out as one of his biggest problems in recent games, above his lack of finishing.

The Uruguayan has been criticised in recent days for his performance against Aston Villa, a match in which he missed a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

"I helped him by telling him that it's okay to miss a chance, but it's the second game in a row that I haven't been happy with his sacrifice, neither against Wolves nor Villa," Slot said at a press conference on Wednesday before facing Newcastle United.

“I can’t accept that a player doesn’t give his all. I’m clear about that. I can accept it once, but twice is too much. If you miss an opportunity, you have to fight for the team. I’m not saying he didn’t do it, but he hasn’t been the Darwin he always was, the one the fans love. That’s because he always works very hard,” added the Dutchman.

Núñez has made 36 appearances for Liverpool this season, scoring six goals and providing five assists.

This, his third campaign at Anfield, is his poorest in terms of goalscoring output, but he still has 12 league games ahead of him, plus the League Cup final and the Champions League, in which the Reds play Paris Saint Germain in the round of 16, to improve his figures.

In 2022/23 he scored 15 goals in all competitions, while last year he scored 18 goals.