Luis Diaz has risen to the top under Arne Slot

A hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen confirmed that, after Mohamed Salah’s generation, Luis Diaz will lead Liverpool’s under Arne Slot.

Luis Diaz ended the Champions League with Leverkusen with the MVP award in hand. Last night at Anfield was one of the most memorable moments of the Colombian striker’s career. This was the first time he scored a hat-trick since becoming a professional. Since December 2017, with Philippe Coutinho’s hat-trick in the Champions League against Spartak Moscow, Liverpool have seen another player of the team do the same.

The Liverpool – Leverkusen match should have focused on Xabi Alonso on his return to his old home as the reigning German champions. However, Luis Diaz overshadowed his predecessor. It was a surprise when captain Arne Slot let Diaz play as a center forward (for the first time in his career). However, the results were beyond expectations.

Diaz has played “number 9” many times, but those were only times based on the situation on the field and never started in this role. Arne Slot dared to do it, Luis Diaz dared to play and both teachers and students were successful.

“I really like this position. The head coach made it clear what he wanted us to do and everything went smoothly. It’s not easy for anyone to come here and replace Jurgen Klopp, the whole team needs to continue to maintain this form” – Diaz shared.

One of the reasons Liverpool chose Arne Slot to replace Jurgen Klopp was because when he was at Feyenoord, the Dutch strategist was famous for his ability to develop and improve players. In every tactical meeting at Melwood, he and his assistants spent a lot of time discussing Diaz. The 27-year-old star benefited a lot from the meticulous times the coaches were on the table.

Last season, Diaz scored 13 goals in all competitions after 278 minutes on the pitch. This season, the South American star has scored 9 goals after just 96 minutes. The tournaments are getting more and more intense and difficult to play, which is a testament to Diaz’s remarkable rise.

All 3 goals against Leverkusen showed the 27-year-old striker’s calmness and sharp sensitivity to opportunities. Diaz’s goals were scored in different ways, which also proved Liverpool’s flexibility and constant change under Slot’s hand.

Not only playing by formula, the Merseyside team also showed endless inspiration, such as the way Diaz scored a no-look shot into the opponent’s net. Everything at Anfield is as beautiful as a dream and Diaz certainly doesn’t want to wake up.

“What I’m excited about right now is that the team still has a lot of potential to develop. We can continue to generate this energy and go further. Some of Liverpool’s opponents are having difficulty dealing with the intensity we create,” Arne Slot shared.