Slot to ‘regret’ Luis Diaz decision as Liverpool changes made v Everton
Arne Slot has made ten changes to his starting line-up as Liverpool travel to Everton on Wednesday.
The Reds could take a nine-point advantage at the summit of the Premier League with a win in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on 12 February.
Slot is looking for a reaction against Everton from the 1-0 FA Cup loss to Plymouth on Sunday (9 February) but may have made a critical error with one selection decision.
Liverpool make ten changes for clash with Everton
The likes of Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah return to the starting line-up after being rested against the Championship strugglers.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is only fit enough for the bench after his recent injury issues with Conor Bradley replacing him in team.
Luis Diaz is the only man to keep his starting place from the clash against the Pilgrims, getting the nod despite a poor performance as the Reds crashed out the cup.
Slot makes wrong decision on Luis Diaz for Everton v Liverpool
The Dutchman has stuck with Diaz in the number nine role despite his underwhelming performances when leading the line recently.
The Liverpool ace was dropped for the 4-0 EFL Cup victory against Tottenham but was recalled for the Plymouth clash and failed to impress.
The Colombian forward created just one chance and a total of just 0.06 expected assists despite playing the full 90 minutes on the South Coast. [Fotmob]
The 28-year-old recorded an 84 per cent pass accuracy but failed with his only cross attempt of the contest and made just one pass into the final third.
Defensively, he won 50 per cent of the eight ground duels that he contest and made four recoveries as he tried to help out when the Reds did not have the ball.
It is time for Slot to abandon the experiment and allow Darwin Nunez or Diogo Jota the chance to stake their claims for a starting berth.
Diaz cannot offer the consistent presence upfront that the Anfield outfit need if they are to continue their march towards the Premier League and Champions League titles.