There was a lot of concern over Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Liverpool at the end of last season.
Not only did he bring club icons Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk to the club, but he also brought winning ways back to a club that had been sorely missing them since the 1980s.
If it wasn’t for Man City’s era of dominance, Klopp would likely have brought more than one Premier League Trophy and one Champions League back to Anfield. But he is still rightly considered a club legend after the Dutchman’s 9 seasons in Liverpool.
The Early Signs Are Promising
Despite the worry, new head coach Arne Slot has guided The Reds to the top of the Premier League table after 11 games of the season, picking up nine wins and only losing one on the way to the peak. The bookmakers currently have Liverpool as favourites at odds of 13/10 and punters can take advantage of improved odds at new betting sites as well as bonuses and boosters to further improve potential returns.
A Generous Inheritance
And, it is proving difficult to bet against Slot’s Liverpool. While it is clear he has benefited from inheriting a very strong squad from his predecessor, the emergence of Luis Diaz has surprised many pundits and fans.
Enter Luis Diaz
Having enjoyed a strong start following his move from Porto, Diaz’s form suffered after injury and being dropped. But, he scored five in the first five league games of the season and bagged a hattrick after being deployed as a false 9 in a Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen.
His form has even led team captain Virgil van Dijk saying Diaz could fill the hole left by Sadio Mane. A change in tactics, swapping Diaz’s position, and intense one-on-one training sessions have been credited for the turnaround in the Colombian’s fortunes.
Luis Diaz Background
Luis Diaz joined Liverpool from Porto, in 2021, for a fee of less than £40 million. In his first season with the club, he bagged 4 goals in 13 appearances playing primarily as a winger. He achieved the same scoring feat in his next season before doubling his tally in 2023-24, albeit from twice as many games.
Despite some decent performances, he did struggle to replicate his early form and there was talk of the Colombian leaving Anfield following some high-profile struggles, especially in big games. Fans will be incredibly grateful that he chose to stick it out.
This Season’s Performance
In all competitions, this season, Diaz has netted 11 goals in 16 matches. Much of that improvement seems to come from one-on-one sessions between Slot and Diaz. In these sessions, Slot has been coaching Diaz to make better decisions. Specifically, when to shoot and when to pass. As a result of that, Diaz is actually averaging fewer shots per game this season than he did last season.
Expected Goals Return
But, whereas in the last campaign he scored almost 4 goals fewer than his expected goal, he is 2 goals above his expected figure this season. The figures point to the fact that he isn’t shooting as often but is doing very well when choosing which shots to take.
Slot’s Changes
Slot hasn’t made huge changes since taking over from Klopp. The decisions he has made have been described by pundits as micro-changes. One of those changes has been encouraging Diaz to cut in from the wing, whereas Klopp preferred his wingers to stay out wide.
Because Diaz is getting into the middle of the pitch more often, he is being presented with more shooting opportunities. When combined with his improved ability to pick the right opportunities, this is yielding more goals for him and more for Liverpool.
When the Anfield outfit took on Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League earlier this month, the manager showed his faith in Diaz’s new ability in front of goal by naming him as a no. 9. Admittedly, the decision was partially forced on Slot, due to injuries, but it would have been easy to opt for another player in that position. Diaz repaid the manager’s trust by scoring a hattrick and helping the team to a 4-0 victory.
The Emergence Of Curtis Jones
Diaz isn’t the only player to have come in in strides under Slot’s tutelage. 23-year-old academy graduate Curtis Jones had struggled to secure a regular place in Klopp’s starting lineup. This season, though, the youngster has displaced Dominik Szoboszlai from the no. 10 position, including in that 4-0 Leverkusen victory. He also performed especially well in the victory against Chelsea and when coming on the pitch against Brighton.
Liverpool’s Defence
Slot inherited a team that was rich in attacking talent, with the likes of Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Cody Gakpo. But, compared to Man City and Arsenal at least, they struggled more defensively last term. This term, they have conceded just 6 goals in 11 games and have the tightest defence in the league by some margin.
First Season Silverware?
Liverpool’s most recent league title came in 2019/20, under Klopp. While there is still a long way to go this term, they sit top of the table with a seemingly very good chance of bringing the trophy home again under Slot.
After 11 games, they have a 5-point advantage over rivals Man City, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton a further four points behind. Slot will need the likes of Diaz and Jones to continue to show their value for the rest of the campaign if he is to take an unlikely victory and unseat Manchester City but in their current form, it looks more than possible.
