Jurgen Klopp explains how Mohamed Salah & Darwin Nunez built 'pretty special partnership'
- Nunez has assisted three of Salah's last seven Premier League goals
- The duo have 19 goal involvements between them in all competitions
- Klopp praised Salah for taking Nunez under his wing
By Tom Gott
Jurgen Klopp has hailed Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez for working together to form a "pretty special partnership" in Liverpool's forward line.
Both players are in electric form ahead of Saturday's meeting with Premier League champions Manchester City. Nunez has assisted three of Salah's last seven league goals, helping the Egyptian reach double-figures after just 12 games.
Speaking to club media, Salah suggested that he shares a similar play style to Nunez, which has helped the pair build a better understanding of the other's movements.
"I think because he saw that I'm always looking at him when he's running and [I'm] just trying to give him assists, try to give him balls, he's always trying his best to give me the ball back," Salah said. "I think because we are both fast and we both have speed, it makes us understand each other's game.
"But also when Cody [Gakpo] plays in that position, he's a fantastic guy. If you understand their game, your game is going to be easier. So I'm trying always to understand the other players' games, so I know where I could be in that position with this player and with other players it's different. Kostas [Tsimikas] and Robbo [Andy Robertson], completely different, Darwin and Cody are also different. So I have to adapt with the players who are going to play and who's where."
Klopp argued that both Salah and Nunez have the high football intelligence needed to succeed at Liverpool and praised the Egyptian winger for his effort getting to know Nunez following his £85m move to Anfield in 2022.
"You can't become a Liverpool player if you're not football-smart," Klopp told Friday's press conference. "Darwin and Mo look for each other but it's not like they cut out the other boys. It's just a different way of playing.
"Mo supports the boys. Darwin came here, big expectations, and Mo probably understood the situation best and saw his potential and wanted to help him. Without having the longest conversation, that was for sure the start of a pretty special partnership."
Nunez enjoyed a particularly impressive international break, bagging three goals in two games for Uruguay, and Klopp will hope that form continues when Liverpool travel to the Etihad Stadium for Saturday's early kick-off.
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