Prolific Diaz reaps rewards of Slot's quiet evolution

Liverpool are top of the league. But while that may only be for a day, more significantly, Liverpool are back on track.

- RICHARD JOLLY

The tame home defeat to Nottingham Forest looks more of a one-game anomaly. After three goals in the San Siro came three at Anfield. As Bournemouth were beaten, like AC Milan before them, a week that began badly for Arne Slot has featured an impressive response.

And a success story of his fine start again illustrated Slot’s early impact. When the final whistle blew, Erling Haaland remained the Premier League’s runaway top scorer. So far, so predictable. What rather fewer would have expected when the season started was that Luis Diaz is his closest challenger. At times in his Liverpool career, the Colombian has provided everything but the goals. Now he has five in as many league matches for Slot: that average of one per game comes after a return of worse than one every four for the club before then.

A win made in South America also included Darwin Nunez’s first for Slot, as he made his maiden start under the Dutchman. But it was determined by Diaz’s two-minute double. Cody Gakpo was terrific against AC Milan but, four days later, Diaz was restored to the team. The destroyer of Manchester United was similarly dynamic. There is a thrilling directness to Diaz, an explosiveness that stems from a willingness to run beyond defenders, to let fly from both long distances and acute angles. What there has not always previously been was an end product.