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Luis Suarez arrived at Barcelona from Liverpool on the back of a controversial World Cup campaign in 2014 as he was involved in a biting incident with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. He was banned from taking part in any football-related activity for four months, which meant he made his first appearance for the Catalan club club nearly two months after the start of the 2014-15 season.
Suarez made his competitive debut for Barcelona in the LaLiga fixture against Real Madrid and even set up Neymar for the opening goal, but eventually Barcelona lost 3-1. However, this initial setback didn't affect his inaugural season with Barca as he went on to win a historic continental treble. He had a huge contribution in that feat too, as he scored 25 goals in 43 appearances including a goal in the UEFA Champions League final against Juventus.
After a successful first season with Barcelona, Suarez had established himself as one of the best strikers in the world. And in his second season he broke the duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over the European Golden Boot as he scored 40 goals in 35 appearances in the 2015-16 LaLiga season to capture the award.
Barcelona had an unimpressive 2016-17 season by their standards, as they were only able to secure the Copa del Rey title. However, Suarez had a remarkable season yet again as he netted 37 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions.
Doubts over his Barcelona career first started appearing during the 2017-18 season, when he had a poor start in the league and went the entire Champions league group stage without a goal. He recovered well in the domestic competitions as he scored 30 goals in 39 appearances, but the same form could not be replicated at the continental stage as he scored just one goal in 10 appearances.
Many fans believe that Suarez's Barcelona days are numbered as his performance as a star striker is deteriorating with every season. However, there are a few reasons why the 31-year-old Uruguayan striker is still a vital part of the Catalan club.
#1 Plays a huge role in Messi's absence
Everyone is aware that in the past decade or so Lionel Messi has been the backbone of the Catalan club, and his absence often brings along the fear of dropping crucial points. However, when Messi was injured and out of action for two months in the 2015-16 season, Suarez took on the responsibility of leading the Barcelona attack and he scored 10 goals in 9 games with La Pulga on the sidelines.
Messi was once again out of action for nearly 25 days in the following season, and yet again the Uruguayan stepped up for Barcelona as he took charge of the attacking front.
Many believe that Suarez hasn't been at his best this season. However, when Messi was out of action due to a fracture in his right arm, Suarez once again took center stage as he guided the Catalan club to a thumping 5-1 victory against fierce rivals Real Madrid, scoring a hat-trick in the process.
The following week he scored a vital brace against Rayo Vallecano away from home to win all 3 points for Barcelona and maintain their run at the pole position in the league.
#2 Amazing stats in domestic competitions
Much of Barcelona fans' frustration roots from the three consecutive quarterfinal exits in the UEFA Champions League. And to make matters worse, they had to witness their fierce rivals Real Madrid win it three times on the trot.
Suarez has been abysmal at the grand European stage, as he has scored just one goal in the previous 14 Champions League appearances. However, that does not take anything away from his domestic achievements. He has scored 138 goals in 174 domestic appearances over a span of four years.
Currently, the Uruguayan is considered to be going through a rough spell in his career. However, he is still the joint second top goalscorer in LaLiga, tied with compatriot Cristhian Stuani on 11 goals, and was adjudged the best player for the month of October in LaLiga.
There's reason to believe he could still work wonders for Barcelona if given enough faith.
