22 January 2024 , 12:34
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While Liverpool are undeniably keen to get Mohamed Salah back for treatment on his hamstring injury, they are proving they can cope without him.
Any side would miss one of the world’s best players, especially one who has scored 18 goals and contributed eight assists in 27 games. But Liverpool are showing with their star-studded attack that they can still prosper while Salah is on duty with Egypt at the AFCON.
Sunday’s impressive victory at Bournemouth, which pitted the top two teams in the form table against each other, means they have won three out of three without their talisman. They were big wins too - 2-0 at Arsenal in the FA Cup and 2-1 against Fulham in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz have all stepped up to the plate for Liverpool to help ease Salah’s absence. Nunez and Jota got two each at Bournemouth and the Uruguay star is the first Premier League player to notch up 10 goals and 10 assists this season.
That makes 20 goal involvements for Nunez and it is little wonder that Liverpool and their fans value him so highly. He has been described as Liverpool’s agent of chaos because he makes things happen and he turned the Fulham game when he was introduced with the Reds trailing 1-0 with just over half an hour remaining.
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Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith claimed Nunez’s mishit volley in the first half at Bournemouth underlined his lack of confidence, when it showed the exact opposite. Nunez took the difficult chance on because he believed he might score and his stats back up his self-confidence.
He was devastating when Jurgen Klopp switched him from the left to the centre of their attack and no defender relishes him running at them at full pelt. Klopp, Pep Lijnders and the rest of the Reds’ coaching staff have worked hard on making him fit their attack and not to stray offside.
The upshot is that Nunez has established himself as the Reds’ main attacking threat after Salah and Klopp loves to pair the pair together. Jota’s double mean he has 11 goals and two assists in his 22 appearances this season and the Reds have not lost any of the 43 top-flight games in which he has scored.
What is Liverpool's best front three? Have your say in the comments below.
Mohamed Salah has been injured while on AFCON duty but Liverpool have covered well in his absence (AP)This is the fourth best in the Premier League and he is a natural predator who comes alive in the box. Gakpo has nine goals and three assists and Diaz six and one to underline the fact that Liverpool can score all along their front line.
No side in Europe, let alone the Premier League, can boast such a varied and potent attack and they are the engine behind the club’s latest quadruple bid.
Nunez, Jota, Gapko and Diaz have contributed 36 goals with the season just over the halfway point and Liverpool are arguably more deadly than they were with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino supporting Salah.
Now there’s a thought for Liverpool’s rivals to ponder.