Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez is on-course to beat the Premier League record for big chances missed in a season.
We all know that Darwin has been off-target with his shooting at times this season. As per Fotmob, he’s missed the most big chances in the league in 2022/23, with 15.
And now it’s emerged that the Liverpool man could be set to break the all-time record. As per Football data expert VisualGame on Twitter, that record stands at 25. The current holder is then Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who missed a hatful during the 2011/12 campaign.
As VisualGame points out though, Van Persie’s 11/12 season was one of the best individual showings in Premier League history. The Dutchman bagged a near record-equalling 30 goals in the league. That was despite missing 0.68 ‘big chances’ per 90 minutes.
For Nunez’s part, he looks well on track to better (worse?!) RVP’s haul. Not yet halfway through the season, Darwin has plenty of time to add more to his 15 misses. At a strike-rate of 1.54 fluffs per 90, the Uruguayan is well out in-front.
He’s nothing if not entertaining. Keep going, Darwin. They’ll all go in soon.
Van Persie shows Nunez the way
This isn’t the kind of record Liverpool fans had hoped Darwin would be breaking this season. Nevertheless, Van Persie at least sets a somewhat encouraging precedent.
As often mentioned with Nunez, it would be more worrying if he wasn’t getting himself in the position to get on the end of chances. He may be missing a few, but he’s also putting a decent amount in the net.
Van Persie’s stats show that it’s possible to be profligate as well as prolific. Liverpool’s No.27 may be stretching that theory to the limit, but it still rings true. It’s also worth pointing out that Erling Haaland is only three behind Nunez, ith 12 big chances missed this season. And he’s scored 21.
So, he may well smash this particular record, but Reds fans shouldn’t be all that worried.
After smashing in 30 goals for Arsenal in 11/12, Van Persie joined Manchester United. Hitting another 26 Premier League goals in 12/13, he dragged United to the title in their last season under Sir Alex Ferguson. It remains their last such crown.
It’s majorly unlikely that Nunez will have a similar impact on his team throughout the rest of this season. But once he’s bedded in further and Liverpool are, hopefully, in a better place next campaign, who’s to say that he won’t then?
