Darwin Nunez attracted doubters and believers alike in his first season at Liverpool, and his speed off the mark caught eyes in the Premier League.
Earlier in the campaign, Nunez was falsely attributed with having broken the Premier League‘s all-time speed record at 38km/h.
A number of publications ran with the statistic, claiming the Uruguayan had broken a record set by Kyle Walker, but it was quickly debunked.
However, at the time – back in October – Nunez had posted the fastest top speed of any player in the top flight that season.
With the campaign now having come to an end, and the 24-year-old having made 29 appearances in the Premier League, the final tally has been produced.
According to the Premier League, Nunez was the fifth-fastest player last term, having clocked a highest speed of 36.53km/h.
That left him behind Walker (37.31km/h), Brennan Johnson (36.70km/h), Mykhailo Mudryk (36.63km/h) and Anthony Gordon (36.61km/h).
Arnaut Danjuma (36.34km/h), Matheus Nunes (36.32km/h), Erling Haaland (36.22km/h), Denis Zakaria (36.09km/h) and Reiss Nelson (36.07km/h) made up the rest of the top 10.
It is perhaps a surprise to see Mohamed Salah‘s name not on the list, but there is a difference between top speed and speed over distance.
When it comes to Nunez, it is clear he is a player who excels in bursts, similar to Haaland, driving behind defences with smart runs to finish off moves.
While his finishing left a lot to be desired at times, there is a sense that, when fully adjusted, Nunez can translate those chances into regular goals.
His speed will no doubt terrify defences, giving little margin for error when it comes to leaving gaps to run into.
For Nunez, it wasn’t quite a record-breaking campaign in terms of his sprinting – but it was still hugely impressive.
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