Darwin Nunez has broken his silence after Arne Slot criticised his ‘behaviour’ in Liverpool’s draw with Aston Villa.
Nunez endured an eighth successive game without hitting the target after a gilt-edged miss as the Premier League leader were held on Wednesday night.
Slot revealed that he plans to hold talks with the Uruguay international over his conduct in the 20 minutes after spurning the chance at the Villa Park.
He said: “I can accept every miss especially from a player who scored two very important goals against Brentford.
“It is a chance and not 100 per cent that it goes in. I can accept misses but what is harder for me to accept is his behaviour after the chance.
“I think he got too much in his head. He wasn’t the usual Darwin who works his ass off and makes sure he helps the team.
“I think he was too disappointed after missing that chance and was a fraction short.
“It’s not about the chance for me, it’s about the 20 minutes after that I want to talk to him about.”
Nunez responded to the critique with a social media post on X, deleting his first two messages and referenced his recent heroics against Brentford.
He said:”I wasn’t the best three weeks ago (at Brentford) and I’m not the worst now.
“If I fall, I get up. You’ll never see me give up.
“I’m going to give it my all until the last day I’m here in Liverpool.”
Slot, meanwhile, has accepted a Football Association charge for improper conduct during his sending off in last week’s Merseyside derby draw.
The Dutchman and his assistant Sipke Hulsoff were both issued red cards after the final whistle and are now set to face disciplinary action as a result.