Virgil van Dijk says Darwin Nunez must beat ‘rival’ in Liverpool squad

Virgil van Dijk praised Darwin Nunez for his goal in Liverpool’s win over Bournemouth on Saturday, but said the striker must beat his ‘rival’ Diogo Jota to succeed at the club.

Nunez has endured a frustrating start to the 2024/25 season, playing just 84 minutes in four substitutions and failing to score or provide an assist until Saturday.

But the Uruguay international was allowed to start against Bournemouth at Anfield after Jota was allowed to remain as a substitute.

Nunez rewarded Arne Slot for the chance he was given by convincingly scoring Liverpool’s third goal in a 3-0 win over the Cherries. At the same time, Nunez worked hard for the team with four tackles, two recoveries and one clearance.

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— Premier League (@premierleague) September 21, 2024

Nunez must beat Liverpool rival Jota, says Van Dijk

Liverpool captain Van Dijk was full of praise for Nunez after the match, but stressed that the 25-year-old “must keep working” to overtake Jota in Slot’s starting line-up.

“Of course I’m happy for him,” Van Dijk said (via Liverpool’s official website). “He has to keep working, keep being important when he gets the chance.

“Of course he has a very good ‘opponent’ or ‘rival’ or whatever you want to call it in Diogo Jota with him, so they have to challenge and push each other. That’s the only way we can be successful.

“The way he reacted today after his first start of the season is clearly what we want to see. He needs to keep working, just like the rest of the team.”

Nunez will be hoping for another starting spot when Liverpool host West Ham United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening.

Top photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images