"Man of the match for Luton", "He cost us the game" - Liverpool fans unhappy with star's performance in 1-1 draw against Luton

As the dust settled on a tension-filled evening at Kenilworth Road on Sunday (November 5), Luton and Liverpool emerged in a 1-1 stalemate. Jurgen Klopp's men were widely expected to win the game, and their failure to do so had the fans unhappy with striker Darwin Nunez.

The hosts weathered significant pressure from the Reds, eventually breaking the deadlock in a breathtaking moment. With merely 10 minutes left on the clock, Issa Kabore surged forward on the counterattack, receiving the ball from Ross Barkley. Kabore weaved a tantalising cross to Tahith Chong, who clinically dispatched it into the net.

The odds looked favorable for Luton as they approached the final whistle, but things became harder as the referee signaled eight additional minutes. Liverpool took the time to their advantage, and in search of the equalizer, Harvey Elliott pinpointed a cross to the far post in the dying moments.

Luis Diaz rose, outmuscling Kabore, to head the ball past Thomas Kaminski, who nearly picked up a massive clean sheet against much larger opponents. As Diaz celebrated, he unveiled a heartfelt message on his shirt, dedicating the equaliser to his kidnapped father in Colombia.

Yet, amid all of it, it was Liverpool's Darwin Nunez who bore the brunt of fans' frustrations. Despite unleashing an astonishing nine shots towards the goal, the forward seemed to be having an off day, missing the mark on nearly every occasion. He notably had a glaring opportunity from close quarters, but somehow failed to score.

Diaz's heroics overshadowed Nunez's underwhelming display, but the forward's lackluster performance, marked by only three shots on target, didn't go unnoticed. The Reds' faithful were quick to voice their disappointment on social media, unleashing a barrage of criticisms and reactions aimed at Nunez. One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

"Nunez Man of the match for Luton"

Another noted:

"Anyone but Nunez and we would have had 3 in the bag. He cost us the game. Take a bow Darwin"

Here is a selection of their tweets:

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp discusses decision to play Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz's parents are victims of a kidnapping ordeal by the guerrilla group - the National Liberation Army or ELN. While his mother has been rescued, negotiations are reportedly ongoing for his father.

The harrowing incident has understandably been a source of immense distress for the Liverpool forward. During the preparations for the clash against Luton Town, Jurgen Klopp emphasized that the decision for Diaz to participate would help the forward with an escape. He told Sky Sports (via Sports Mole):

"It is still emotional but he decided three days ago that he wanted to train again. The football pitch is a safe place for the boys and somewhere where he can, for a few minutes at least, forget about what is going on."

The 26-year-old entered the match in the second half and delivered a pivotal header to salvage a point for the Reds in the dying minutes.