Jamie Carragher was raging at one Liverpool player during the first half of tonight’s Carabao Cup clash against West Ham.
The Reds ultimately ran out comfortable 5-1 winners but they had to come from behind at Anfield, and it wasn’t until Edson Alvarez’s 76th-minute dismissal at 3-1 that the contest felt like it had been settled.
When the teams were level prior to half-time, the Sky Sports co-commentator let rip at Darwin Nunez after the Uruguayan fouled Danny Ings when the Irons forward had his back to the play and was a yard out from the touchline.
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Carragher blasted (via Daily Express): “That’s a clumsy foul. Yeah, I mean we’ve already seen one at the other end but Nunez there….honestly. It’s the one thing in football I’ll never be able to get my head around when I see someone just run straight into the back of someone, going absolutely nowhere.
“I think there should be a fine for that, honestly I do. If I was a manager I would fine players for that.”
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Thankfully nothing came from that free kick for West Ham shortly before the interval, but we can see why Carragher was annoyed at Nunez at the time.
Had the Irons scored from the set piece and gone in at the interval 2-1 in front, the second half could’ve transpired rather differently, but once Liverpool got their noses in front they took command of proceedings, aside from a brief spell of Hammers pressure.
There’s a lot to like about the Reds’ number 9, such as the brilliant finish he conjured up in the win over Bournemouth last weekend, but he still needs to learn from impetuous moments such as the foul on Ings when there was no danger to his team.
In the end it didn’t have any consequence, but it’s nonetheless something that Arne Slot will likely bring up with Nunez in private during the debrief on tonight’s match.
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