Liverpool are meticulous with everything they do in the transfer market. With the financial disparity which exists between them and the teams with which they compete for the top prizes, they simply have to be on point with every deal they mark, both for players joining or leaving.
A big element of their success is an ability to assess potential signings with data and estimate how well they will fit into Jurgen Klopp’s team. Signing great players does not automatically lead to having a great side, it’s vital that the blend of talents works well as a unit.
But this is not to say you want a squad of clones, all excellent in the same ways. Far from it. Adding a sprinkle of something different, in order to pose opposing defences new problems, is essential for a team to successfully evolve. Kopites have seen this in Januarys past and they have again in 2022.
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Rival fans might look at the Liverpool record of Luis Diaz, the Reds’ winter signing from Porto, and wonder why so much fuss is being made about his performances so far. The 4-0 win over Manchester United was his 17th appearance for the club and across those games he has mustered four goals and two assists.
But it’s what he brings to the side which his new teammates do not which has made his signing look like another piece of excellent Liverpool transfer business. This was particularly evident in the victory against Manchester City at Wembley last weekend, and especially in the first half.
Diaz’ was most noticeably involved in the sublime team move which led to Sadio Mane putting the Reds’ three goals up. Having received a fantastic trademark long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold, the former Porto man carried the ball into the box and helped create a shooting opportunity for Andy Robertson. When that effort was blocked, Diaz recovered possession and from there the sequence leading to the goal unfolded.
There were two other main ways in which he helped his team against City, and they are areas in which they have traditionally not been as potent as they should have been: dribbling past opponents and winning free-kicks.
Between the 23 rd minute and half time, Liverpool completed four dribbles and every one of them was by Diaz. He carried the ball past Joao Cancelo, Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva, an impressive quartet of players to beat.
What makes this more remarkable is that there have only been 11 instances of a member of Klopp’s squad completing four-or-more dribbles in a league or European match this season (per FBRef), never mind in a quarter of one game against such elite opposition. And even then, Diaz was responsible for two of the previous examples anyway, having been successful with four take-ons in the victories over Leicester and West Ham.
Eight teams have completed more dribbles than Liverpool in the Premier League this season, and if you account for possession as well – the Reds are only behind City for this statistic – then just three clubs have been successful with fewer take-ons on a pro-rata basis.
The data for fouls suffered paints a similar picture. Diaz won four free kicks in the first half on Saturday, with Cancelo (twice), Fernandinho and Jesus using unfair means to stop him in his tracks. It’s marginally more common for a Liverpool player to suffer four fouls than it is for one to complete four dribbles, but it has still only occurred 14 times in the two main competitions in 2021/22.
Klopp has spoken out recently regarding the lack of free-kicks Mohamed Salah wins, but if Diaz’ trickery can pick up the slack then it lessens the impact of the unfair treatment his Egyptian colleague receives.
The parallels with another South American Luis are clear for all to see. Suarez signed mid-way through 2010/11, and ended the campaign with four goals and three assists, a fairly modest return. But despite only playing for 1,100 minutes, he completed the second most dribbles and won the third most free-kicks of any Liverpool player that season, and he was streets ahead on both for rate per 90 minutes.
Nobody will ever forget Suarez’ performance in the 3-1 victory over Manchester United that season, particularly when he dribbled past three opponents to set up Dirk Kuyt for the opening goal of what became a hat-trick. It may have taken the Uruguayan another season before he became a goal scoring phenomenon, but Diaz’ Liverpool career has started in very similar style so the sky could be the limit in the years to come. And whatever happens goals-wise, he will still be providing the Reds with attributes they previously lacked.
