Darwin Núñez could be the reason Liverpool win the Premier League this season.
That's according to talkSPORT presenter Tony Cascarino after the Reds striker scored his second league goal of the season on Saturday as he opened the scoring against Villa Aston.
His goal led the locals towards a 2-0 victory at Anfield to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Cascarino believes Núñez's contributions will prove instrumental to his team's title hopes this season.
The talkSPORT co-host told Weekend Sports Breakfast: “I was very critical of Darwin Nunez last year.
“I say it's critical because I feel like if Liverpool had the chance last year to win the league, Darwin Nunez had to be clinical.
“And I think a lot depends on him again this year because I looked at his numbers last year, not in goals, but from his time at Anfield. And if you take Mo Salah, since he's been at Liverpool, he's started 244 games.
“He's been on the bench 17 times, right? Very little because he's very consistent. He's been tremendously clinical for a long time. Darwin Núñez has started 45 games.
“He's been on the bench, he started on the 28th bench. So he's really been an in-and-out player all this time. He's been at Liverpool for over two years. And that in itself tells you that if he's clinical, They will win the league.
“If he also scores goals, more than 15 goals in a season, Liverpool can win the league.
“Because he gives another dimension to Liverpool. He is a player that all of us, I think every footballer I know, professional footballer I talk about, we talk about Núñez, they all say the same things. I like him a lot.
“I really have pace, he never stops running, even if he misses opportunities he keeps going. I'm the same. But I also know that if Darwin Núñez can score goals, Liverpool can win things more regularly because he has so many goals.” attributes in his game. And the fans love him.
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“And they always have. Every time Núñez plays, if he does something, the fans immediately notice Núñez, Núñez, you know, because they love him.
“And it will make Arne's job, Arne Slot's job, a lot easier if he gives even more competition to that forward line, because that forward line already has goals.”
Núñez made just his fourth league start of the season on Saturday, and his other four appearances came from the bench.
However, he now has two goals and an assist in those games.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are now five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Arne Slot's side have only lost once in the league and have only dropped four points over the course of their first 11 games.
