When manager Arne Slot marked his first official match at Anfield with a win, Virgil van Dijk had made 100 appearances for Liverpool at home. Only 2 of those matches were defeats and 82 matches ended in victories. "No matter what happens in the future, Anfield is a special place in my heart" - said the Dutch midfielder.
For Luis Diaz, 100 is also the number of appearances he has made for The Kop in all competitions. To mark this milestone, the Colombian striker contributed a goal and an assist in Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Brentford.
With a total of 25 goals, Diaz averages 1 goal every 4 matches for Liverpool. Or maybe 1 goal every 3 starts, with 77 starts.
No matter how you measure it, Diaz's numbers raise more questions than they answer. Sadio Mane scored 120 goals in 269 matches for Liverpool, an average of nearly 1 goal every 2 matches. The Senegalese winger even ranked second in the 2022 Golden Ball voting.
If Mane's impressive goal tally reflected Jurgen Klopp's tactics - the wingers were given the responsibility of scoring goals, then that changed after Darwin Nunez arrived. And currently, in the first phase at Anfield, Slot still doesn't know exactly what to do with the wingers.
However, Diaz scored against Brentford and a brace in the friendly against Sevilla. Is that a sign that this player will be stronger under Slot? Of course, Diaz has always been the first to score for Liverpool at Anfield in the last three campaigns.
And for much of that time, it felt like Liverpool had been waiting for Diaz to become a real goalscorer. "He knows that as a striker, as a winger, he needs to score goals and create assists," said Alexis Mac Allister, who translated for Diaz in a post-match interview. said.
Meanwhile, many questions arise about Diaz's necessary "ruthlessness" in seizing opportunities. "The problem is to make sure our strikers like Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Nunez and Diogo Jota are in the best possible positions. And then they will show their quality." - Slot said.
It feels like Diaz has provided everything for Liverpool, except goals. After arriving in January 2022, the Colombian's initial impact has been incredible. Diaz even caused Mane to end his career at Liverpool as a striker. However, in Diaz's best matches, the "Red Brigade" often did not get good results.
Starting the 2022-2023 season, Diaz scored 4 goals in the opening 8 matches. However, when he returned from injury, he only scored 5 goals in 21 matches. Last season, the kidnapping of his father greatly affected Diaz's psychology and performance.
In short, although Diaz may be excellent in other areas, Liverpool still want to see a little more of Mane's qualities in the Colombian.
