Darwin Núñez’s participation in the early stages of the Premier League has been limited to just 32 minutes. The Uruguayan striker played 18 minutes against Brentford and 14 against Manchester United, with no starts and little chance to shine during this international break. So, what’s happening with Darwin?

Núñez won’t be joining the Uruguay national team during this international window due to a five-match ban imposed after his involvement in a fight during the Copa América. Instead, he’ll stay in Liverpool under the guidance of Arne Slot, which might be his best opportunity to earn the trust of the Dutch coach, who has so far favored Diogo Jota since arriving at Anfield.

Jota, who scored in the opening match against Ipswich Town, has started in all three Premier League games so far. Last season, the Portuguese forward was in the starting XI 14 times.

However, under Jürgen Klopp, Darwin was the preferred option, starting 22 league games. After an initial season of adaptation, the Uruguayan improved his numbers last season, contributing 18 goals and 13 assists.

Despite this, Darwin had the third-worst xG (Expected Goals) in the Premier League. According to the metric, he should have scored 16 goals but only managed 11. Only Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with a negative xG of 5.8, and Brennan Johnson, with -5.3 xG, fared worse.

Extending this statistic to all the forwards Liverpool has signed since Roberto Firmino in 2015, Darwin has the worst ratio, yet his work rate, assists, and character have been valued at Anfield. This makes his drop from the starting lineup and relegation to a substitute role surprising.

Slot's decision has been justified by results so far, as Liverpool is the only team in the league to have won all three matches without conceding a single goal.

With a somewhat underdog status after two seasons where Manchester City and Arsenal have dominated the title race, Liverpool, without major summer signings beyond Federico Chiesa, aims to continue Klopp's successful era. However, Darwin’s role in achieving further success seems uncertain at this point.