THE NOTEBOOK: Jurgen Klopp can make Darwin Nunez a star
Nunez #Nunez
Liverpool put a stop to their poor run of form on Monday evening as they beat Everton 2-0 in the Merseyside derby.
Mo Salah opened the scoring in the first half to complete a fine counter attack and Cody Gakpo opened his Liverpool account in the second period to ensure the Reds could claim bragging rights over their local rivals.
Everton beat Arsenal in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge last weekend but failed to back up the result.
The Toffees remain in the relegation zone of the Premier League, while Liverpool leapfrogged Chelsea into ninth.
Here, Sportsmail’s Dominic King takes a look at some of the things you may have missed from Anfield.
Klopp can aid Darwin’s revolution
A standing ovation for Darwin Nunez when he left the field with the game won midway through the second period and one that was fully deserved. The perception around this erratic season is that the Uruguayan is to blame for Liverpool’s troubles but that ignores so much.
Yes, Nunez has had teething troubles and, yes, he should have a few more goals but there has been a glint in Jurgen Klopp’s eye when he speaks about him and it would be a huge mistake not to look at the improvement Liverpool’s manager has coaxed out of forwards down the years.
Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are obvious examples of the magic Klopp has weaved at Anfield but go back further and you will see how Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Robert Lewandowski blossomed at Borussia Dortmund.
Nunez is bursting with potential and the electric speed he showed – and the delivery to create Salah’s opening goal – was the hallmark of a player who could be of the highest calibre. Don’t be shocked if he gets 25 goals next season.
Everton board return and Ferrell pays a visit
Will Ferrell’s football tour of the North West continued, with the Hollywood A-Lister managing to get himself a ticket for the sell-out fixture 24 hours after watching Manchester City play.
Of more interest in the Directors Box, though, was the sight of Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, the Chief Executive and club legend Graeme Sharp. It was the first game they had attended since January 21.
Simms hung out to dry
The inclusion of Ellis Simms caused surprise but no blame whatsoever can be attached to this young man for Everton’s failure to test Liverpool’s defence.
Sean Dyche had been impressed by him in training last week, name-checking him regularly in his press conference last Friday.
The 22-year-old had only played 15 minutes as a substitute this season. It’s not his fault the club failed to make a quality forward addition in January, meaning he had to step into the breach.
Pickford Kops the taunts
How things have changed in this fixture. When the great Neville Southall was Everton goalkeeper, he was guaranteed a long, respectful round of applause as he ran to The Kop. You can safely assume that wasn’t the case here for Jordan Pickford.
Alisson alert but not on Monday
Odds-on favourite to be Liverpool’s Player of the Season is Alisson Becker and, for once, he had very little to do here. He was the reason Liverpool escaped Goodison Park with a 0-0 draw last September but the sum of his efforts in this game was a simple collection from Alex Iwobi’s shot.
But here’s a few numbers to make you think. He’s made 68 saves so far this season – to give that context, in his first year at the club – 2018-19 – and last year, he made 76 in total. In Liverpool’s title winning campaign of 2019-20, he made 58 stops.
His busiest season on Merseyside was 2020-21 (84) but with 17 games to go, it would be generous in the extreme to say that total will not be beaten.
