Darwin Nunez is quietly outperforming Vinicius Jr and Robert Lewandowski as Liverpool progress clear

Darwin Nunez hit a landmark for Liverpool during the gut-wrenching FA Cup loss to Manchester United.

The Reds suffered a 4-3 extra-time defeat by their bitter rivals at Old Trafford, which ended any hopes of winning four trophies this season.

But if there was a positive to take from the reverse, it was that Nunez hit 30 goal contributions for the 2023-24 season.

Nunez moved to Liverpool from Benfica in the summer of 2022 for what could become a club record £85 million. He had a mixed maiden season in a Reds team that stuttered and missed out on a Premier League top-four finish for the first time since Jurgen Klopp's first year in charge. Nunez ended the 2022-23 campaign with 15 goals and four assists.

But in his sophomore term, with a summer rebuilding leading to Klopp given his new-look side the moniker of Liverpool 2.0, Nunez has made hurtling progress. He's been in potent form in the final third and notched himself two assists against United - setting up Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott's finishes, while the striker's shot saved by Red Devils goalkeeper Andre Onana fell into the path of Mo Salah for his 21st goal of 2023-24.

It means that Nunez had created 14 goals this term, as well as plundered 17 himself. Ten of those have been in the Premier League title charge, one more than in 2022-23 and with 10 matches still to play.

When it comes to comparing himself to Europe's elite forwards, Nunez up there. He ranks eighth for the most goals and assists in the top five leagues. He presently sits ahead of Real Madrid' duo Jude Bellingham (29) and Vinicius Junior (28), Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski (28) and Manchester City's Phil Foden (27).

Granted, Nunez has had the benefit of playing in the Europa League rather than in the Champions League, with five goals and one assist coming in Europe's second-tier competition. Yet it's a tangible sign of the headway that Nunez has made.