Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes striker Darwin Nunez would've scored more goals for Manchester City if he was in their squad this season.
Nunez joined the Reds from Benfica last summer, but he's struggled to find consistency in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old has scored two goals in the league, with his strike in Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Arsenal his first since the opening day.
It's been a completely different story for new City man Erling Haaland. He's scored 15 goals since arriving from Borussia Dortmund, only eight off last season's Golden Boot winning tally.
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Haaland and Nunez's fortunes couldn't be any more different, given the result of August's Community Shield meeting between Liverpool and City. Liverpool won that game 3-1, with Nunez scoring the third. Haaland, meanwhile, drew a blank.
Klopp claimed Nunez shouldn't be comparing himself to Haaland before aiming a slight dig at his other attacking players.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of this weekend's game with City, the German coach declared per talkSPORT: "Let me say it like this, I think Darwin Nunez would have scored a couple more goals if he had played in the centre of Man City this season.
"We have to improve our game to bring him more often in these situations."
Haaland has scored against every team he's faced in a professional game this term apart from Bournemouth, a remarkable record he'll be hoping to maintain at Anfield.
Klopp hopes his presence won't weigh heavy on Nunez at the other end of the pitch.
He continued: "I don’t know, but I hope it is not in a process where he compares himself with Erling Haaland.
"Don’t compare, I hope he is not doing that and doesn’t think about that. I don’t see that.
"We are in our situation and we want to sort our situation and that is all we are concerned about."
Klopp also said his side can't be compared to City's as manager Pep Guardiola is allowed to spend whatever he wants in the transfer window.
He named Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain as the two other teams who can operate with 'no ceiling'.
City are unbeaten in all competitions this season and sit second in the table, behind Arsenal.
Liverpool are down in 11th with just two wins this campaign.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: Darwin Nunez, Erling Haaland, Manchester City, Liverpool, Premier League, Jurgen Klopp
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