Only three Premier League players are contributing Liverpool’s Luis Diaz. Jurgen Klopp says his impact has been ‘unbelievable’.
You don’t have to go very far to find people praising Luis Diaz and his impact at Liverpool. The Colombian has been a revelation – far better than anyone thought he’d be.
After all, how many players could break into Liverpool’s forward line halfway through a season? How many could then be favourites to start a Champions League final?
Jurgen Klopp talked on Friday about just how good Diaz has been, too.
“An unbelievable impact, clear,” he said, per Liverpoolfc.com. “There’s enough space in each squad in the world for a world-class player – that’s what Luis is.
“That’s why we were so desperate to get him and that’s why we were so happy that we could get him. It makes all the difference.”
But just how good has Diaz been? Data suggests only three players are producing more than him in the Premier League right now.
Luis Diaz dominates for Liverpool
A ‘Shot Creating Action’ is anything a player does that leads to a shot within the two actions prior to said shot. It can be a pass to someone who shoots or a pass to someone who assists. It could be a dribble and then shooting. Maybe even winning the ball back and assisting a teammate.
It’s a way to judge how much a player produced going forward even if they’re not the ones with the goals or assists. And in this regard, Diaz is truly exceptional.
Statsbomb data on FBref shows that Diaz produces 4.71 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in the Premier League. Most of that comes from passing but the Colombian also boasts a high number from dribbles (the most at Liverpool) and from defending (the second-most).
But no matter how he’s doing it, there’s no escaping that Diaz makes things happen for Liverpool. Only three players in the Premier League boast a higher number than 4.71 SCA per 90.
Kevin De Bruyne leads the way with 5.38, and then Trent Alexander-Arnold follows with 4.77. £100m man Jack Grealish then has 4.75 before Diaz steps in.
Diaz being able to contribute on that level just a few months into joining a new club, in a new system, in a new country is extraordinary. And Liverpool reportedly believe he’ll get even better.