Luis Diaz ‘finished’ at Liverpool after Arne Slot decision v Tottenham
Arne Slot has made four changes as Liverpool host Tottenham in the EFL Cup on Thursday.
The Reds are hoping to reach a first final under the Dutchman by overturning a 1-0 deficit against Spurs from the first leg, as they welcome the Londoners to Anfield.
Ange Postecoglou’s side holds the advantage after Lucas Bergvall’s controversial late strike on 8 January and Slot has tried to switch things up to give his side an edge in the second leg.
Slot makes changes for Liverpool v Tottenham
Slot has selected Darwin Nunez rather than continuing with Luis Diaz upfront in the contest after his poor performance against Bournemouth.
The Reds boss has given first-choice goalkeeper Alisson a rest by selecting Caoimhin Kelleher for the clash with the North London outfit.
Conor Bradley replaces injured star Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones starts instead of Alexis Mac Allister.
Luis Diaz finished after Slot decision
The Colombian attacker is finished as a number nine for the Reds after Slot’s latest decision for the clash with Spurs.
The 28-year-old has impressed at times in the false nine role and scored a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on 5 November.
However, his recent performances have been underwhelming and his dropping from the starting eleven is absolutely justified.
In the 2-0 win against Bournemouth, Diaz registered one chance created and attempted just two shots despite playing the full 90 minutes. [Fotmob]
He took three touches in the opposition box in the contest and made two passes into the final third while completing just one dribble for a 50 per cent success rate.
In terms of his defensive effort, he won four of eight ground duels for a 50 per cent success rate and just one of three aerial duels for a 33 per cent success rate.
It is time for Slot to abandon the false nine experiment and allow Nunez or Diogo Jota to stake their claims for a starting berth.
If the Reds are to continue their momentum and contend for the Premier League and Champions League trophies then they need a constant presence upfront, something which Diaz cannot offer.
His best role is on the left but Cody Gakpo has that position nailed down at the moment.