Darwin Nuñez let his new teammates down on Monday night as a moment of madness handed him an early bath against Crystal Palace, and Harvey Elliott has revealed the reaction in the dressing room.
Elliott claims the Liverpool squad rallied around the Uruguayan and told him he wasn’t at fault for Liverpool’s dropped points on the night.
The English midfielder explained “it’s not his fault to be honest because we conceded the goal in the first half which put us in that situation.”
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Elliott continued “For him [Nuñez] it’s a learning curve and for the team it’s our fault, it’s not just him, it’s everyone’s fault.”
“We’re instantly around him trying to lift him up. Obviously, he’s very down in the changing room feeling sorry for the team and thinking it’s his fault, which it’s not, it’s all of our faults.”
On what was a difficult night for Liverpool fans, they’ll take comfort from Elliott’s maturity in this situation.
Nuñez was having a difficult night as it was before his sending off, snatching at numerous clear-cut opportunities.
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Reds fans would’ve been able to make peace with that though. The forward is new to the Premier League, and huge pressure of course accompanies a big money transfer.
What some fans might struggle to come to terms with is the rashness Nuñez showed as he headbutt Joachim Andersen.
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Footage has emerged which has shown he was being taunted by the Crystal Palace centre-back all night, but that’s no excuse for his action.
In his post-match press conference, manager Jürgen Klopp was clearly unimpressed revealing he only selected Nuñez because Roberto Firmino was unavailable.
It’s not the start to Anfield life Darwin Nuñez would’ve wanted, and the three matches he’ll now miss through suspension will delay his opportunities to acclimatise to his new environment.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Harvey Elliott, Liverpool, Darwin Nunez