Darwin Nunez is Liverpool's late, late agent of chaos – whatever his future holds

When the final whistle sounded, Darwin Nunez clenched his fists and looked up to the heavens.

His Liverpool team-mates made a beeline for him, with Alisson lifting his close friend off his feet in a warm embrace as the away end paid homage to their match-winner.

How the Uruguayan had waited for a moment like this. He’s been ridiculed and written off. The most expensive signing in the club’s history had been relegated to the fringes of this Premier League title challenge, his confidence taking a battering as he squandered the limited opportunities he had been granted to stake a claim for a bigger role.

However, with time running out and Arne Slot’s side on the brink of a damaging stalemate against Brentford, Nunez took centre stage to turn frustration to elation.

The former Benfica striker, who replaced Luis Diaz midway through the second half, hadn’t scored in the Premier League since November. In fact, he had only netted twice in the top flight since last April, but Nunez doubled his league tally for the season with two clinical finishes in stoppage time as the hosts’ stubborn resistance was finally broken.

The outpouring of emotion showed just what it meant to Nunez. The chants from the home fans about him being an inferior version of Andy Carroll were silenced. Liverpool’s agent of chaos is back in business.

“Today was his day,” captain Virgil van Dijk told reporters post-match. “What he did today is what we need him to do – to have an impact and score important goals. As a striker you are judged on goals. He put his mark on the game.”

If Nunez’s contribution felt big when Liverpool left the Gtech Community Stadium, the value was magnified by the time they had returned to Merseyside with rivals Arsenal throwing away a 2-0 lead at home to Aston Villa.

Darwin Nunez scores his decisive first goal for Liverpool at Brentford (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

After the recent wobble with those draws against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, Slot’s men have re-established their grip on this title race as they boast a six-point lead with a game in hand.

Late drama and Nunez go hand in hand. No player in Premier League history has scored more 90th-minute winners away from home than he has, Saturday’s memorable cameo sitting alongside similar ones at Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest last season.

Since he arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2022 for a fee potentially rising to £85million ($103.5m), he has more top-flight goal involvements as a substitute (seven goals, four assists) than any other player. Eight of his 24 league goals (33 per cent) for Liverpool have been scored inside the final 15 minutes of matches.

“He brings a lot energy and power,” Slot told BBC Sport. “In most of our games, especially in the last half hour, we control and completely dominate around their 18-yard box — that’s where he’s at his best when we can bring the balls in. To have someone like Darwin is nice to have.”

Of course, Nunez was bought to be so much more than a useful plan B off the bench. He was supposed to be Roberto Firmino’s long-term successor — a mainstay of the team — as Jurgen Klopp sought to change the dynamic with a different type of No 9.

However, the maverick never looked the right fit for Klopp’s brand of football and it’s been a similar story since Slot took over. Liverpool have rarely played to his strengths and he has struggled to adapt and change his game to what’s been demanded from him. The language barrier hasn’t helped.

His work rate endears him to supporters but he’s been consistently erratic, thrilling and infuriating in equal measure. Prior to his goals on Saturday, he had got a header horribly wrong and ballooned another chance over the bar. Ultimately, this was a triumph of perseverance.

“I think he’s having a good season, he scores goals, he works very hard for the team, he assists,” Slot told reporters in his post-match press conference. “But he’s in competition with a lot of good players, so that’s why he’s not every single game on the pitch.

“But I’m very happy with him – not only because he scored two goals today. I’m very happy with the other performances he put in for us as well.”

That was a sugarcoated assessment, with the head coach understandably keen to publicly defend Nunez’s output. However, the fact he’s only started him in seven out of 21 league matches speaks volumes, especially given Diogo Jota’s ongoing fitness problems.

Van Dijk has regularly put an arm around Nunez’s shoulder during a difficult period, reassuring him that his time would come.

“I told him: ‘Don’t listen to all of you guys (the media)!’,” the Dutch defender said. “No, I’m joking! Don’t take that as a serious comment. I said to him: ‘Stay calm because you will play again.’ There will always be an opportunity for him to show himself again and be important for the team.

“He is in a good place. He is still learning. The South Americans help him with the language and everything. He is part of the group and we need him. We are all really pleased with what he did.”

Liverpool have not received any offers for Nunez this month, amid speculation about possible interest from the Saudi Pro League, but doubts about Nunez’s long-term future remain. There’s a big decision to be made in the summer but he was never going anywhere this month. Between now and May, Slot and his staff desperately need to get a tune out of him on a more regular basis.

The No 9 role remains a nagging concern. Jota’s quality is undeniable but after shining off the bench in midweek against Forest, he missed the trip to Brentford after a new injury setback. Jota still hasn’t started a league game since October.

Slot has repeatedly favoured playing Diaz rather than Nunez through the middle, but the Colombia international was ineffective there once again on Saturday. He doesn’t provide a focal point up top.

That hardly mattered when Mohamed Salah was scoring so freely but the Egyptian’s form has dipped in recent weeks: he has now gone three games without a goal for the first time since September.

Wastefulness in the final third almost cost Slot’s side on Saturday. Their total of 37 shots was the most on record by an away team in the Premier League and Liverpool’s highest tally since they had the same number in a 4-0 home win over Everton in April 2016.

But just eight of them were on target, with Nunez making their 36th and 37th attempts count. Their xG (expected goals) was 3.43.

“Of course I had doubts (that the breakthrough would ever arrive),” Slot added. “It would have been a bit surprising if I felt: ‘OK, after all these chances missed today, we will probably score in the last five minutes.’ But the players proved me wrong again.”

(Top photo: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)