Jota’s Struggles: A Window of Opportunity for Núñez? | OneFootball

Why is Diogo Jota’s Form Keeping Darwin Núñez on the Bench?

Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez find themselves at the heart of Liverpool’s ongoing narrative. What makes this tale particularly fascinating is that Jota’s recent struggles on the pitch seem to echo the unspoken thoughts about Núñez’s place in Arne Slot’s squad. It’s as though Núñez’s story is being told through Jota’s mistakes, each one a silent indicator that, for some reason, Slot isn’t ready to fully trust Núñez, no matter how poorly Jota performs.

Jota’s Struggles: What’s Going Wrong?

Jota, a reliable forward for Liverpool, has been suffering from a dip in form that’s hard to ignore. His recent showing against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League group stage was a clear example. Played through brilliantly by Alexis Mac Allister, Jota had the kind of chance strikers dream about. A clean opportunity to score, but instead, the ball sailed wide. It wasn’t just the miss—his overall play felt sluggish, with several mistimed touches and a noticeable lack of control. Fans watching the match would have questioned why he wasn’t substituted earlier.

To compound matters, Jota’s performance against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League wasn’t much better. His passing accuracy was a dismal 54%, and although he was on the pitch for the entire match, his influence was marginal at best. These struggles come hot on the heels of his solid contributions earlier in the season, where he scored on the opening day against Ipswich and made a brilliant assist against Brentford.

But since the international break, something has been off. His confidence seems shaky, his first touch unreliable. Despite all this, Jota continues to be selected, with Núñez left watching from the sidelines. You’d think with form like this, the door would be wide open for someone like Núñez to stake his claim. But that simply isn’t happening.

Darwin Núñez: The Forgotten Man?

Now, let’s talk about Darwin Núñez. The Uruguayan forward has had a relatively quiet season so far, despite coming off a decent campaign. Núñez has played only 84 minutes across competitions this season, including a mere 22 minutes in the Champions League last night, despite Jota’s showing. His role has been coming off the bench, with no clear indication that he’s close to a consistent starting spot.

It’s hard not to think that if Núñez had played as poorly as Jota did against Milan or Forest, the social media outcry would have been deafening. In modern football, perception can be everything, and Núñez’s limited minutes only fuel the narrative that he’s not favoured by Slot. While Jota continues to miss chances and misplace passes, Núñez remains an enigma, a player who—if given more game time—could prove his doubters wrong. But the opportunity just isn’t coming.

Slot Clearly Favours Jota Over Núñez

One of the more baffling aspects of this situation is how Slot’s selections seem to favour Jota, even when his form is lacking. Why isn’t Núñez getting more minutes, especially when Jota’s performances are clearly not up to par? Slot’s reluctance to make the change could be interpreted as a lack of trust in Núñez’s ability to lead the line consistently, or perhaps he’s waiting for the perfect moment to unleash him. But with each game that Jota underperforms, the pressure mounts on the manager to shake things up. We’re about to find out a lot this weekend.

What Bournemouth Could Reveal About Slot’s Thinking

All eyes will be on Liverpool’s upcoming match against Bournemouth. This fixture could reveal the pecking order between Jota and Núñez. If Jota starts again, despite his recent struggles, it may confirm what many already suspect—that Slot doesn’t remotely fancy Núñez, even when the team could benefit from a change. However, if Núñez is given the nod, it could be the chance he’s been waiting for to prove that he deserves more than just a supporting role in this Liverpool side. It’s not looking good for him right now. We’ll learn an awful lot through this Bournemouth line-up.