DIAZ BACK TO GOALSCORING BEST

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admits that Luis Diaz’s goal return last season fell short of expectations, but the Colombia winger seems to have regained his form. Diaz had a challenging year both on and off the pitch, dealing with personal trauma when his parents were kidnapped in his homeland last October. His father was held captive for 13 days before being released, an ordeal that undoubtedly affected his performance. Despite managing 13 goals in total during the campaign, only eight of those came in the Premier League—a tally considered below par for a player of his caliber.

This season, however, Diaz appears to be back on track, having scored five goals in his last four league matches, trailing only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the scoring charts. Speaking to Sky Sports, Diaz praised Slot, calling him a “spectacular” coach. Slot, however, downplayed his role in the winger’s resurgence. “It’s difficult for me to judge because I wasn’t here last season,” Slot said, referencing his relatively new tenure at the club. He has made an impressive start, becoming the first Liverpool manager since Tom Watson in 1896 to win six of his first seven matches in all competitions.

While Slot is cautious not to overstate Diaz’s turnaround, he acknowledges that the player’s current form is more in line with his potential. “He scored eight league goals last season. For me, he was someone who could score a goal, and eight is, for his quality, not of his standard,” Slot noted. “Maybe he was a bit unlucky last season, but a player of his quality will always score a lot of goals every season.” Slot also credits the daily training routines aimed at helping players refine their positioning and decision-making, especially in the final third. However, he insists that much of the improvement comes down to Diaz’s own abilities. “It is mainly in the last third of the pitch, the quality of the player and the finishing he has, and I think he always had this,” he added.

Liverpool currently boasts an enviable wealth of attacking talent, with two players available for every forward position. This attacking depth has resulted in the team scoring 18 goals this season, with 15 of them coming from the front players. Diaz leads the pack with five goals, while Mohamed Salah has netted four across all competitions. Diogo Jota follows with three, Cody Gakpo has two, and Darwin Nunez one. Only new signing Federico Chiesa, who has played just 80 minutes in three appearances, has yet to open his account.

Slot acknowledges that managing such a talented group of forwards could present challenges, but he views it as a positive problem. “That’s the positive thing about playing so many games; these players will always play a lot of games,” he remarked. The head coach believes his players understand the need for rotation to keep them fit and sharp, which is crucial for maintaining high performance levels throughout the season. “As long as they accept the situation as it is, and that is what they are doing at the moment because they have good numbers and I see them smile a lot as well, then it’s a very positive thing for us.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool will receive a boost for their upcoming match against Wolves as goalkeeper Alisson Becker is set to return after missing the last two matches with a hamstring issue. This return could further solidify Liverpool’s already strong squad as they look to build on their early-season momentum.