‘The impact was exceptional’: Jurgen Klopp RAISES new £85 million that Darwin Nunez has attracted after the Uruguayan came off the bench to inspire Liverpool to a 3-1 win against Man City with a late goal and penalty win
Liverpool defeated Manchester City 3-1 in the Community Shield in the King Power
Darwin Nunez came off the bench to win a penalty and score Liverpool’s third
Jurgen Klopp was impressed by his £85million new man’s performance
Meanwhile, Man City’s Erling Haaland had a frustrating afternoon in front of goal
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Jurgen Klopp praised Darwin Nunez’s dream debut as Liverpool’s new club record came off the bench to help his side win the Community Shield.
Nunez was signed by Liverpool in June for an initial £64 million from Benfica; that fee is likely to rise to £75 million once he hits certain targets, but it has the potential to go as far as £85 million if he hits all the clauses.
Reports from Liverpool’s pre-season training camp in Austria were that the Uruguayan will need time to adjust to the way Klopp’s team is playing and it was no surprise that he started between the substitutes for the Manchester City game.
Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score Liverpool’s third place finish to complete the Reds’ 3-1 win
But when Nunez was introduced just before the hour, to a thunderous ovation from Liverpool fans, he wasted little time getting started; he should have scored five minutes after his introduction, when Jordan Henderson put him through, only for Ederson to close him.
It was clear to see that he was frustrated at letting that opportunity slip away, but it didn’t paralyze him and in the final 10 minutes his header – which hit Ruben Dias on the arm – led VAR to award Liverpool a penalty, which Mo Salah scored, before stopping to complete the 3-1 triumph.
Klopp was excited about Nunez’s impact, saying: “He was good, really good. It was clear that he would get better with time, everyone is judged at first glance, that doesn’t help anyone, but it happens.
The striker made a great first impression with Liverpool fans following his £85million transfer from Benfica
“Both teams weren’t 100 per cent in their usual physical condition, but in the first few games we didn’t even come close to today’s fitness levels and after the third ball he was completely killed and everyone judges that. But we are patient and we knew he could do good things.
“I loved his impact and the impact of the bank was exceptional. Everyone who came was important. Good game, we came back into the game and City had to run a lot and we ended the game with some nice goals. A good watch. Both teams used and we should have expected that.’
There is no doubt that the goal will boost Nunez’s confidence, something Klopp acknowledged. It was an important day for him and also an important day for the team, who celebrated receiving the Shield – the club’s first success in this competition since 2006 – as animatedly as any other trophy they have won.
“They are special species, attackers, and everyone needs few positive things,” Klopp said. “For attackers, that means goals or goal involvement. Darwin even without scoring the third but the goal is clearly the icing on the cake so very happy for him. You could see from his face and the faces of all his teammates how happy the boys are for him.’
Manager Jurgen Klopp praised the impact the Uruguayan had as a substitute in the second half
When again asked specifically about Nunez, Klopp turned the conversation around and paid tribute to the man in charge from the start. He explained the importance of Robert Firmino and believes the 22-year-old should learn from the Brazilian.
“That’s the job to do (make an impact) – not for four weeks before the season, but for a longer period of time, this team has open arms for everyone who comes in and that’s very helpful,” Klopp said. “I really liked the first line, Bobby used the spaces and we kept City away from our target.
“Then they started to get it under control and that was even harder work. There are ups and downs in the game, both teams fought hard.’