Jamie Carragher calls for Darwin Nunez to be 'fined' for action in Liverpool vs West Ham

Jamie Carragher has said he would have fined Darwin Nunez for a needless foul in the first half of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup clash with West Ham.

With the score locked at 1-1 before the break, a loose ball was being chased by away forward Danny Ings with seemingly little danger to the Reds. He eventually gathered possession with his back to the play, just a yard away from the touchline.

Despite having nowhere to go, he soon won a free kick though as Nunez charged from behind and bundled him to the ground.

“That’s a clumsy foul,” ranted Carragher, on Sky Sports co-commentary for the clash. “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.”

Fortunately for the Uruguayan, the free kick came to nothing as both teams went in level at the break. And his action may have been born from frustration after the Liverpool striker failed to impress in the first 45 minutes.

After a difficult start to life under Arne Slot, the 25-year-old appeared to get his season up and running on Saturday with a stunning strike in the 3-0 win over Bournemouth. He was duly rewarded with a second consecutive start against the Hammers.

A moment of trickery inside his own area aside though, he failed to make an impression in the first half. Instead, it was Diogo Jota who looked most threatening for the Reds, his close range header cancelling out Jarrell Quansah’s own goal to make it 1-1.

Indeed, Carragher was more jovial when discussing the defender’s unfortunate moment. The 46-year-old scored seven own goals in his own Premier League career, with only Richard Dunne (10) notching more.

“If he averages one (own goal) every hundred games or so he’ll be alright,” he joked. “But that won’t be his last one I can promise you that.”

Shortly after the break, it was Jota who again struck for the hosts to make it 2-1. Carragher duly dubbed him “one of the best finishers we’ve seen in a Liverpool shirt”, after he converted from Curtis Jones’ through ball.