After Liverpool’s 1-1 Saturday Night Football match with Arsenal, Jamie Carragher thinks “something is not right” with their front line.
Liverpool took 13 shots at Anfield but only scored once, thanks to Mohamed Salah’s first-half strike, leaving Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez in bad form.
Despite starting as Jurgen Klopp’s No. 9, Gakpo failed to get a shot off against Arsenal, with Diaz on a goalless streak of 15 Premier League games and Nunez goalless in 12 consecutive.
That leaves Salah to bear the offensive load for Liverpool, but he goes for the Africa Cup of Nations in early January and could be out for a month.
“There’s something wrong with Liverpool’s front three,” Carragher stated on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“Gakpo has been here for about a year and has had flashes, but not nearly enough. Diaz appears to be a shell of himself after suffering knee problems last season.
“I believe Diaz needs to have a good second half of the season or Liverpool will look to replace him on the left side in the summer.” It really feels like they haven’t replaced Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in terms of quality.
“I know Darwin Nunez started on the bench and is having a bad goal scoring streak, but Nunez has to be one of the first names on the team sheet.”
“Even in the midweek Carabao Cup win over West Ham, he creates a goal and panic, and there’s a feeling that even if things aren’t going well, he can run past someone or get a shot off.” He may do something anywhere.
“It feels like we are still making excuses for him but Liverpool have still got right now in terms of a front three is: Salah is your No 1, Nunez is your No 2 and then who else in the front three?”
Neville, a Sky Sports commentator, branded Diaz, Gakpo, and Nunez as “scruffy” and said Klopp is unsure who to play beside Salah in the offensive line.
“Jurgen Klopp isn’t sure about that front three; he moves them around from position to position, and you never know which one will play each week,” Neville remarked. He replaces them right away.
“He had that front three [of Firmino, Salah, and Mane] that worked like clockwork and was always in the game.” Now he’s in a scenario where he has to juggle balls every week and worry which one he’ll choose.
“They’re dirtier. The three previous players were all world-class. Salah is obviously not like Nunez, Gakpo, or Diaz. I believe Liverpool are lacking in this area.”