Klopp must now bench misfiring Liverpool dud who lost the ball 15x v Luton

Liverpool will be disappointed that they couldn’t conjure up a win at Luton Town last time out after dominating the majority of the contest, Luis Diaz’s strike saving collective embarrassment on Liverpool’s end with a last-gasp equaliser to rid the hosts of only their second win in the Premier League this season and to salvage a 1-1 draw for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Darwin Nunez’s individual performance was one of many on the night that would have significantly disappointed away fans at Kenilworth Road, the Uruguayan striker unable to convert any of his multiple opportunities with Diaz thankfully coming to the rescue to show Liverpool’s misfiring number 9 how to be clinical in front of goal.

It could lead to the former Benfica man losing his starting spot for Liverpool’s Europa League contest versus Toulouse subsequently, with Cody Gakpo waiting in the wings after barely featuring for the Reds recently.

Nunez’s numbers this season

Having all the attributes to be a “massive goalscorer” according to former Tottenham striker and football pundit Gary Lineker when speaking on the podcast The Rest Is Football, Nunez is again only showing flashes of excellence for Liverpool inconsistently this campaign after an up-and-down introduction to English football last season.

The imposing 6 foot 2 menace has four goals from ten Premier League games this season, only managing one solitary strike however in his last four appearances in a Reds strip with the 24-year-old somehow coming away from the game with the Hatters goalless.

This was despite Liverpool’s number nine registering nine shots on goal in the contest per Sofascore, Klopp’s side collectively notching up 24 shots in total.

Nunez’s luck wasn’t with him at all, hitting the crossbar from one opportunity whilst Luton bodies blocked a further two of his efforts.

He was however wasteful with a couple of his other shots in the contest, skewing three efforts wide of Thomas Kaminski’s goal who battled valiantly in the Luton net to deny swarms of Liverpool attacks.

Nunez would also misplace the ball an alarming 15 times via Sofascore, giving the underdog hosts a route into the game.

This wasteful display from Nunez could invite Klopp to start Gakpo at the Stadium de Toulouse as a result, the former PSV Eindhoven striker eager for more game time.

Gakpo’s numbers this season

Only appearing off the bench for the Reds this campaign in both the league and Cup competitions, the 24-year-old could be afforded a rare start against the Ligue 1 side in the Europa League.

Last time out in the competition, the Dutchman assisted the fifth and final goal of Liverpool’s game at Anfield when introduced late on – the ex-Eredivisie sharp shooter teeing up Mohammed Salah to score for 5-1, a comprehensive victory confirmed to give Klopp’s men a flawless three wins from three in Group E.

This away reverse fixture in Toulouse could be the perfect occasion for Klopp to tinker with the attack therefore, Liverpool cruising through to the knock-out rounds.

Gakpo has been a steady, under-the-radar presence since joining the Reds last January, scoring 11 times from 38 appearances.

Nunez, on the other hand, would be characterised as a more thrilling player to watch but a frustrating presence when he isn’t bang on form, as was seen in his below-par display at Luton.

In a match where Liverpool won’t have to overly exert themselves to pull off a result, Gakpo could be fielded by Klopp with the Dutch attacker raring to add another goal to his season.

If he can impress versus the French side, he could potentially displace Nunez in Klopp’s ongoing first-team plans.