Why Michael Owen is totally wrong about Darwin Nuñez

Michael Owen knows a thing or two about putting the ball into the back of the net. 

The former Liverpool striker scored 118 Premier League goals for the Reds in 216 appearances prior to his move to Real Madrid. His exploits at Anfield even earned him the 2001 Ballon d’Or. He remains the last Englishman to win football's top individual award.

I think people forget just how good he was during those early years on Merseyside. He had every type of finish in his locker. Owen could lash the ball past a keeper just as easily as he could pick out a corner. The former No. 10 was deceptively good in the air too. When he talks about finishing, it is usually wise to listen.

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And yet I can’t help but feel as though he’s wrong about Darwin Nunez.

The ex-Liverpool striker posted on X on Sunday giving his thoughts on the Uruguayan’s goal against Brentford.

“That finish from Darwin Nunez yesterday was insane. I can’t stop watching it. And I can’t begin to explain how difficult a skill that is. Moving at pace, the ball running away from you, being inside the box with no room for error.

“Incredible. BUT, it is also further proof that if he is to get closer to becoming the great player many people think he can be, he has to adapt his way of thinking. I mean, to even consider that finish is madness. It’s a 1 in 10, 2 in 10 finish at best. Learning to slot, dink or go round the GK is a far more productive way to score and will increase his chances to 4 or 5 in 10, thus massively increasing his end return. I’m really not trying to rain on his parade as that goal was pure class. But I’d rather see it when Liverpool are 3-0 up, not at 0-0.”

Darwin in 2023-24 - the evidence

For starters, this assessment pretty much ignores Darwin’s 2023/24 campaign to date.

The  Liverpool No. 9 has tried to slot, dink and round goalkeepers all season. He’s had varying degrees of success, but to suggest he doesn’t have these types of finishes is just wrong. The former Benfica man has done everything right on multiple occasions only to see his efforts come back off of the woodwork or he’s been forced to watch on as a goalkeeper pulls off a truly remarkable save.

He’s done everything by the book and he’s not really been rewarded for it. Darwin is on nine goals for the season in the Premier League following his remarkable finish against Brentford on Saturday afternoon. His Expected Goals haul for the campaign is 12.44. So, at a glance, he’s underperforming in front of goal. Yet when looking at Expected Goals on Target, he’s actually adding value to his attempts.

To have an Expected Goals on Target total of 13.86 but yet to be into double figures is the definition of unlucky.

If anything, the only thing stopping him from becoming the great player many people think he can be is luck.

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The finish against Brentford might be pivotal in his development. For most of the season, in the nicest possible way, he’s been trying to conform to the norms of a Premier League centre-forward. We haven’t been witnessing the raw, Benfica version of the explosive forward.

The same Darwin who pulled off a similar lobbed finished against Alisson Becker in the Champions League match during the 2021/22 season.

Granted, the situations aren’t identical but most strikers in this situation would likely look to fire the ball into the bottom corner, hoping to catch the Brazilian out with a precise, early effort. Some would look to hit the ball across goal, with Alisson shaping up to smother his near post.

The Liverpool No. 1 is the best one-on-one goalkeeper in the world. He’s probably expecting Darwin to try the predictable efforts. It would’ve been a good effort too, no doubt. But it probably would’ve been saved because that is what the former Roma man does. He makes big saves.

Instead, the Benfica forward nonchalantly lifts the ball over the Liverpool keeper and into the back of the net. It was ruled out for offside but it was a stunning finish, wasn’t it? I still think about it. After all, you rarely see players doing that to Alisson.

Darwin did the unpredictable against Brentford and it paid off.

If you look at Mark Flekken’s shape as the Liverpool striker makes contact with the ball, he’s got all of his weight to his left, assuming Darwin is going to either look to pass the ball into the bottom corner or take it around him. He’s not truly committed - he’s still upright - but you can see he’s readying himself to make the move.

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What the No. 9 does here is the best finish possible. It is viewed as risky but taking a touch and rounding a goalkeeper is also risky. He scored a goal with an exquisite finish. That is ultimately all that matters.

The ironic thing about all of this is that during an interview with Harry Kane, Owen once said: “In my career, if I was in one-on-one, my first thought would be dink finish.”

Darwin pulled off a dinked finish having been one-on-one and he’s being criticised for it.

The Liverpool striker is and will continue to be a great player for the Reds. It is as simple as that.