There is no denying this has been a challenging season for Luis Diaz both on and off the pitch. Even though his father was ultimately freed after his kidnapping in Colombia, it was a deeply concerning situation – which is bound to leave a mark on anyone’s mental wellbeing.
On the pitch, Diaz’s form has been far from perfect. He’s made just one goal contribution in his last nine matches for Liverpool. From a player of his quality – that’s a really poor return and you’d expect a lot better from the winger.
But last night could have been a sign of things turning in the right direction for Diaz. His performance against Newcastle United was by far his best since the beginning of the campaign when he scored twice in two games against Bournemouth and Chelsea.
Diaz was back to his electric best running at defenders and beating players for fun. His excellent break into the penalty area saw him win Liverpool’s first penalty of the game, which could have shifted momentum for the Reds.
The penalty was never converted by Salah, but Diaz then played a role in his opening goal in the second-half. The Colombian’s rapid burst forward created the chance for Darwin Nunez to set-up Salah and break the deadlock.
Diaz’s best of the season
It’s quite telling that Diaz not only produced an eye-catching numbers but he put in his best numbers for the season as well.
Against Newcastle he completed the most dribbles (five) he has completed all season thus breaking his personal record. It was also the most dribbles anyone completed on the pitch for Liverpool on the night.
Diaz’s best asset was always his one vs one ability. If he can continue in this vein of form than losing Mohamed Salah to AFCON may not be such a devastating blow for Liverpool. Especially, since Diogo Jota has also come back firing for the Reds.
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