Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield on August 25, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Paul Merson has urged Liverpool boss Arne Slot to drop Diogo Jota in favor of Darwin Nunez for this weekend’s home clash with Bournemouth.
The Reds are looking to complete their bounce back after a shock 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield last week, with a 3-1 win over AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday a step in the right direction.
Jota has been Slot’s go-to option up-front during his short time in charge so far, with the Portuguese forward — who has 57 goals to his name in a Liverpool shirt to date — starting all five of their matches so far across all competitions, registering a goal and an assist.
Nunez, meanwhile, has been restricted to four substitute appearances totaling 84 minutes, failing to score or assist so far.
Nunez to start over Jota for Liverpool?
However, Merson is anticipating a one-way affair against Bournemouth this weekend, with the Cherries expected to sit back in an attempt to frustrate Liverpool and catch a goal on the break.
It’s for this reason that he believes Nunez is the right option to start up-front, allowing the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to unleash their elite crossing to a target man.
“I would play Darwin Nunez instead of Diogo Jota in this game,” Merson wrote in his column for Sportskeeda.
“When teams sit back, which I think Bournemouth will do, Nunez is a good option. If Liverpool play Nunez, they can ping crosses into him and that could work in their favor.”
Top photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
