Darwin Nunez fluffs lines as Arne Slot slams Liverpool strikers' sulking

The Reds battled back to salvage a point at Villa Park, but the Uruguayan's late miss left fans and pundits shaking their heads.

The game burst into life when Mohamed Salah fired Liverpool ahead, only for Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins to turn the tide for Villa before the break. Trent Alexander-Arnold's deflected effort on the hour mark rescued a draw, keeping Liverpool eight points clear at the Premier League summit.

Yet, the headlines belonged to Nunez, who fluffed a sitter in the dying stages. Dominik Szoboszlai's pinpoint pass took Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez out of the equation, but Nunez lashed his effort high and wide from close range.

Slot, visibly stunned on the touchline, spoke after the match about the mood in the dressing room. "There's one player who feels quite down, and I think you can guess who," he said. "Szoboszlai made the perfect call to square it, it was a massive chance. Very unlucky, and I hoped he'd get another go, because a player like him doesn't usually miss twice in a row. He came close again soon after."

By Thursday, Slot's tone had sharpened. The Dutchman took aim at Nunez's sulky demeanour, suggesting it overshadowed the miss itself. "A miss I can live with," Slot said. "What's tougher to swallow is his behaviour after the chance. It's stuck in his head too much - he's not the usual Darwin who grafts non-stop. He was too downbeat after missing it."

Nunez, who has managed just six goals in 35 appearances across all competitions this season, remains a divisive figure. Rumours of a potential Anfield exit continue to swirl, with his latest blunder fuelling the debate.

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