Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez was at his chaotic best during the club's Champions League victory against Ajax on Wednesday night.
The 23-year-old striker, who joined Jurgen Klopp's side from Benfica this summer for a club-record £85 million, continues to blow hot and cold in a Liverpool shirt.
And last night's entertaining performance at the Johan Cruyff Arena was a perfect example of his start to life at the Reds.
Advert
Nunez failed to convert an absolute sitter from five yards, moments before the half-time whistle, but in the 49th minute, the Uruguayan lived up to his 'box office' tag by scoring against the Dutch champions.
That's four goals in his last four starts for the Reds.
In-form Harvey Elliott put the game to bed minutes later with a cool finish as Liverpool booked their place in the last-16.
Advert
But once again, it was Nunez who grabbed the headlines for a performance that included a rather dramatic dive from a rather innocuous elbow.
As you can see in the footage below, Ajax defender Calvin Bassey attempts to shield the ball from Nunez as he backs away.
Then, in what looks like an accidental collision, former Rangers man Bassey connects with Nunez's chin. The Uruguay international carries on but seconds later, falls to the ground in a heap.
As you can imagine, social media were quick to react to the incident. One fan said: "The fact he thinks about it before going down makes it even worse," while another commented: "He forgot it hurt."
Advert
A third wrote: "Sadly this is a feature of the modern game. I’m sick of it."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, was full of praise for Nunez after the full-time whistle, although he did mention that horrific miss from five yards in his post-match interview with BT Sport.
When reflecting on that miss, the German said: “I think even he was surprised! [when Firmino passed for the shot on the woodwork]. He [Nunez] had a really good game in both directions, helped defending and played with a big heart today so hopefully we took him off early enough!"
Nunez's teammate Andy Robertson opened up about the conversation he had with Nunez before his corner that led to the goal.
Advert
“Darwin was really angry at himself at half-time for missing that chance,” Robertson said. “I don’t think he understood a word I said, but I told him I’d put a cross on his head for him to score!”
Thoughts on Nunez's performance against Ajax on Wednesday night? Should he be a regular starter under Klopp?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: BT Sport/AlamyTopics: Darwin Nunez, Liverpool, Ajax, Champions League, Jurgen Klopp
