Arne Slot explains why Darwin Nunez needs to be more like Wataru Endo at Liverpool

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Liverpool suffered a setback in their pursuit of the Premier League title on Wednesday night by drawing 2-2 at Aston Villa.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring for Liverpool, but Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins scored before the break to put Aston Villa in the lead.

Trent Alexander-Arnold fired in the equaliser in the 61st minute of the game, but Liverpool couldn’t get back in front by full-time.

Darwin Nunez spurned a great opportunity to put the Reds in front during the match, firing over the bar from about six yards out.

On Thursday morning, Liverpool manager Arne Slot discussed Nunez’s miss and work-rate, going on to name one of his teammates as the player with the ideal mindset.

READ MORE: Liverpool fans say Arne Slot made a ‘terrible’ decision in Aston Villa draw

Liverpool boss Arne Slot slates Darwin Nunez’s post-miss work-rate as Wataru Endo mindset praised

Slot, speaking to the Liverpool media team, was critical of Nunez not regarding his miss, but over his work-rate after the miss.

“I can accept every miss, especially from a player that has scored two very important goals against Brentford, that’s scored for us in the home game against Villa,” said Slot.

“I would prefer him to score but the word ‘chance’ says it all – it’s a chance, so it’s not 100 per cent sure that the ball goes in. Players miss chances, that I can accept.

“But what was a bit harder for me to accept [was] his behaviour after that chance.

“And with behaviour I mean I think it got too much in his head where he wasn’t the usual Darwin that works his [backside] off and makes sure he helps the team.”

“I think he was too disappointed after missing that chance and maybe – we will never know, we will never find out – that’s why he was just a fraction short [in] the moment afterwards.”

Slot then suggested Nunez could learn from the likes of Wataru Endo, who “just keeps on going” no matter the circumstances and is always ready when called upon.

“I always truly believe that it’s always the best to have Wata’s mindset,” Slot said of the £16million man.

“And what I mean with that is that for the whole season he just keeps on going, keeps on going, keeps on going and whenever we need him, he’s ready.

“That is very difficult, there are not many players that can do this.

“It’s not about the chance for me, it’s more about the 20 minutes afterwards where I want to talk to him about than about him missing a chance.”

Slot previously said Endo would be “important” for Liverpool in the next few months.

What Darwin Nunez said in wake of his miss against Aston Villa

Nunez took to X the day after the game with an image of him celebrating one of his two match-winning goals against Brentford last month.

He wrote in Spanish: “I was not the best three weeks ago nor am I the worst now. If I fall, I get up. You will never see me throw in the towel.

“I will give it my all until the last day I am here in Liverpool. Resilience!”

According to the Liverpool Echo, Nunez initially posted a slightly stronger tweet that was then deleted.

It reportedly read: “Two or three weeks ago, Darwin was the best, Darwin gave us three points, but yesterday I had the bad luck of missing a goal and now I am once again the “worst” and the loser.

“I don’t fall, I get up and will never give up. I will give it my all until the last day I am here in Liverpool. Resilience!”