Arne Slot said he "cannot accept" Darwin Nunez's work rate over the past two Premier League games he has participated in. 

Nunez was a second-half substitute in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Wolves and 2-2 draw with Aston Villa earlier this month, missing an open goal in the latter fixture. 

The Uruguay international was again on the bench for the Reds' win over Manchester City on Sunday, a victory that sent them 11 points clear at the Premier League summit. 

It has been another difficult season for Nunez, who has shown occasional flashes of individual brilliance, but has largely been a disappointment for Liverpool this term. 

Nunez has scored six goals and notched five assists across 35 appearances in all competitions, though only 16 of those outings have been from the start. 

Since his first Premier League season in 2022-23, only Erling Haaland (80) and Ollie Watkins (64) have missed more big chances in the competition than Nunez (51). 

Slot defended Nunez after his miss against Villa but said he allowed his "disappointment" to impact his work rate.

"I helped him by saying you can miss a chance," Slot said in his news conference. 

"I wasn't only hard on him. But for the second time in a row I wasn't happy with his work effort, against Wolves and against Villa.

"I can't accept if a player doesn't give everything. That is clear. I can accept it once, but twice was a bit too much. That's why I addressed it.

"If you miss a chance, you need to fight for the team. I'm not saying he didn't do that at all, but it wasn't the usual Darwin, the one that is loved by the fans.

"That is mainly because he always works so hard."

Nunez's chance to shine for Liverpool comes against Newcastle United at Anfield on Wednesday, a side he has had particular joy against since his move to Merseyside. 

He scored a dramatic brace in a comeback victory over the Magpies in August 2023, a game that saw Virgil van Dijk sent off in the first half. 

Nunez has also registered his joint-most goal contributions (four, level with Brentford) against the Magpies during his time in the Premier League.