Liverpool's disappointing home defeat to Nottingham Forest in the fourth round of the Premier League seemed like a fluke. After scoring three goals at San Siro against Milan in the Champions League, the Reds continued to score three more against Bournemouth at Anfield. It seemed like the past week would be difficult, but Arne Slot and his students ended it with impressive victories.
One of the highlights of Liverpool’s victories under Slot has been the explosive performance of Luis Diaz. When the final whistle blew, Erling Haaland was still the Premier League’s top scorer. However, few expected Luis Diaz to be close behind.
In the previous three seasons, the Colombian provided everything for Liverpool except goals. But now Diaz has five goals in five games under Slot, averaging a goal per game. That’s a huge improvement on last season’s one goal every four games.
Liverpool's victory over Bournemouth was marked by South American players. Darwin Nunez opened the scoring this season in his first appearance under Arne Slot. However, it was Diaz who shone brightly with a double in just 2 minutes.
Cody Gakpo had been excellent against AC Milan, but just four days later, Diaz was back in the starting line-up and was in impressive form. The 27-year-old striker continued to show his incredible pace and dynamism. Diaz was always ready to rush forward, creating breakthroughs from both long-range and tight-angle shots. Under Slot, the former Porto player not only had more opportunities, but also improved significantly in his finishing ability.
Arne Slot has repeatedly expressed his confidence that his strikers will always score and Diaz is proof of that belief. In the recent 3-0 victory, the Colombian star showed his superiority over his marker, Julian Araujo. Diaz showed his ability to escape his opponent's marking with ease with two impressive goals.
Diaz's opener was a perfect moment. Ibrahim Konate transformed into Alexander-Arnold with a long pass that found Diaz. The 1997-born striker sprinted past the Bournemouth defence and finished quickly to score.
Just a few minutes later, a real assist came from Alexander-Arnold. Starting from a run across the pitch, the English defender made a decisive pass to Diaz. The 27-year-old striker did not miss the opportunity to increase the score to 2-0 with an accurate shot.
Diaz's impressive form helped Liverpool play better and better. Before the end of the first half, Darwin Nunez continued his excitement when he scored a great goal that made the whole Anfield stadium explode. The Uruguayan striker had gone through a series of 15 matches without a goal, but finally found his scoring touch again. This brought great confidence to Nunez himself and joy to captain Arne Slot.
In matches where Mohamed Salah is struggling, it is essential for stars like Luis Diaz or Darwin Nunez to shine. Since Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino left Anfield, The Kop has been waiting for someone who can share the fire in attack with Salah. This is also the reason why the "Red Brigade" has been inferior to Man City or Arsenal in the last 2 seasons.
With his remarkable progress under Slot's guidance, Diaz will certainly continue to be an important factor in Liverpool's title challenge this season. More importantly, the Merseyside team has regained their enthusiasm after the doubts following the 0-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
