Diaz ready to step up for depleted Reds in title charge

Luis Diaz has been quietly excellent for Liverpool in recent weeks.

While Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez have often earned the plaudits, the winger has been equally important for Jurgen Klopp's title-chasing side.

And with Jota and Nunez forced off with injury in last Saturday's win at Brentford, Diaz may need to take on even more responsibility.

We look at his impressive form for Liverpool ahead of tonight's Premier League clash with Luton.

Time to shine

Not so long ago, Diaz was perhaps the most unheralded of Liverpool's attacking options.

Mohamed Salah, who only made his return from injury against the Bees, began the season in typically prolific form.

Nunez, despite his mercurial nature, has started to perform more consistently and Jota has been superb, scoring four goals and providing two assists in his last five league appearances.

But now could be Diaz's moment to enter the limelight.

Jota's knee injury at Brentford appears to be a serious one, with Klopp saying he could be sidelined for months, while Nunez is a doubt for this evening's game.

With Salah still building up his fitness, the emphasis will be on Diaz to provide the spark for Liverpool in the final third.

He is certainly capable of stepping up when required — since the turn of the year, the revitalised Colombian has scored four goals and got two assists.

Overcoming adversity

Diaz's 2023-24 campaign has been a difficult one for several reasons.

The former Porto forward struggled for form throughout the first half of the season — and football was likely the last thing on his mind when his father was kidnapped by Colombian rebels last October.

Following his father's eventual release and with more regular starts at Liverpool, Diaz began to find his feet again.

After he starred in the Reds' Carabao Cup semi-final win over Fulham last month, Klopp said: "He [Diaz] is a fantastic player.

"What a boy! The speed, the power he can generate, the technique, the combination of all that — it is absolutely outstanding. I am really happy."

Different dynamic

Salah, Jota and Nunez may all be more productive than Diaz in front of goal but the latter offers something different in Liverpool's attack.

There is a dynamism and directness about the 27-year-old that makes him uniquely threatening.

He ranks first in Liverpool's squad for completed take-ons in the Premier League this season (36), with Trent Alexander-Arnold the next best (25).

Diaz also works diligently off the ball, ranking third for possessions won in the attacking third (15).

With his quality in transition and ability to press from the front, it is no surprise Klopp has placed his trust in the South American.

There is room for improvement, of course — his return of five league goals from an xG of 6.53 will be disappointing — but Diaz is proving himself as a key player at a crucial point in Liverpool's season.