'I don't want' - Arne Slot defends Darwin Nunez and makes 'difficult' Federico Chiesa Liverpool claim

'I don't want' - Arne Slot defends Darwin Nunez and makes 'difficult' Federico Chiesa Liverpool claim

Arne Slot reacts to Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones' penalty misses for Liverpool against PSG and the challenge he fringe players face to get game-time

Darwin Nunez of Liverpool looks dejected after missing penalty during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield (Image: Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images )

Arne Slot has defended Darwin Nunez after his penalty miss in Liverpool’s shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The Uruguayan and Curtis Jones both missed as the Reds exited the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage.

Nunez has endured a difficult season under the Dutchman, having struggled to nail down a regular starting place. Making 17 starts in all competitions, only eight have come in the Premier League while he has scored just seven times.

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The striker’s Anfield future remains the subject of speculation following reported interest from the Saudi Pro League and AC Milan in January. Meanwhile, Slot publicly criticised Nunez following underwhelming performances off the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa last month.

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But the Liverpool head coach has defended both Nunez and Curtis Jones following their misses.

“Because of? Yeah, (he took it hard),” he said when asked if he had needed to speak to the under-fire striker following his downbeat reaction to missing his penalty. “But I assume Curtis felt the same (after missing).

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“I think every player that takes a penalty and misses it doesn't feel well, but it’s not only the two who missed, all the others didn’t feel very positive as well after the game because we lost a game of football.

“They took the responsibility. In football, you can miss a chance and you can miss a penalty and that is what can happen if you take the responsibility of taking a penalty.

“For me, I think we were closer to winning in the first 90 minutes. And then penalties, it’s always, in my opinion, you need a bit of luck.

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“But there are many people who say you can influence that luck, which is also true, because the more you train, the better you do. These players do train their penalties on a regular basis as well.

“But he missed and that’s not what you want, but I don't want to make anything more out of it than just missing a penalty.”

Meanwhile, Slot also admitted it has been difficult for his fringe players to force their way into his starting XI as he revealed what the likes of Federico Chiesa need to do to catch his eye.

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“That is of course more difficult because these players hardly train with the starters,” he said. “If you look at our schedule in the last three or four months, if we play for example on Saturday and then we play on Tuesday again, then on Sunday the ones that played on Saturday, they only do recovery sessions so they are not on the pitch.

“And then it’s the day before the game and it’s maybe 10-15 minutes of tactics where it’s more walking football than playing football so there is hardly ever a moment where they can compete with each other.

“But, the day after the game, I am always outside. My assistant managers have great exercises and the players always show themselves in these moments.

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“So those are moments to show where you are, if you have improved, yes or no, and if you come closer to the players who are starting - and of course when they come in.

“But for the ones who don’t start, it is not an ideal world that we have so many games, that’s completely true.”

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