The unfortunate home defeat to Nottingham Forest in the fourth round of the Premier League seemed to be just an accident for Liverpool. After 3 goals at San Siro against Milan in the Champions League, The Kop continued to score 3 more goals against Bournemouth at Anfield. It seemed that last week would be difficult, but Arne Slot and his students ended with impressive victories.
One of the highlights of Liverpool's victories under Slot was the explosion from Luis Diaz. As the final whistle blew, Erling Haaland was still the top scorer in the Premier League. However, few people expected Luis Diaz to be the one to follow closely.
In the previous 3 seasons, the Colombian striker provided everything for Liverpool, except goals. However, Diaz has now scored five goals in five games under Slot, with an average of one goal per game. This is a big step forward for him compared to 1 goal/4 matches last season.
In the match against Bournemouth, Liverpool's victory left a strong impression on South American players. Darwin Nunez made his debut this season under Arne Slot. However, it was Diaz who shined brilliantly with a double in just 2 minutes.
Before that, Cody Gakpo played excellently in the match against AC Milan but only 4 days later, Diaz was returned to the starting lineup and showed impressive form. The 27-year-old striker continues to show his incredible dynamism and speed. Diaz is always ready to rush forward, creating breakthroughs from both long-range and tight-range shots. Under Slot, the former Porto player not only has more opportunities, but has also improved a lot in his finishing ability.
Arne Slot has repeatedly expressed confidence that his strikers will always score, and Diaz is proof of that confidence. In the recent 3-0 victory, the Colombian star showed his superiority over his partner Julian Araujo. Diaz easily showed his ability to escape the opponent's presence with 2 impressive goals.
Diaz's opening goal was a perfect moment. Ibrahim Konate surprisingly transformed into Alexander-Arnold with a long pass over the line to Diaz's position. The striker born in 1997 accelerated through the Bournemouth defense and quickly finished to score.
Just a few minutes later, a real assist came from Alexander-Arnold. Starting from a running situation along the pitch, the English defender made a decisive pass to Diaz's position. 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 has gone through a series of 15 failed matches and has finally found the scoring touch. This brought great confidence to Nunez himself and joy to captain Arne Slot.
In matches where Mohamed Salah was at a disadvantage, it was extremely necessary for stars like Luis Diaz or Darwin Nunez to shine. Since Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino left Anfield, The Kop have always been waiting for those who can share the burden in attack with Salah. This has also become the reason why the "Red Brigade" has been inferior to Man City or Arsenal in the last 2 seasons.
With remarkable progress under Slot's leadership, Diaz will certainly continue to be an important factor in helping Liverpool compete for titles this season. More specifically, the Merseyside side have regained their excitement after doubts from the 0-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
