In the aftermath of Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, former Liverpool forward and current pundit, Daniel Sturridge, has openly expressed his belief that the Reds are feeling the void left by Luis Diaz’s summer departure. The fleet-footed Colombian winger swapped Anfield for the allure of Bayern Munich in a deal worth a noteworthy £65 million.
Diaz has made an electrifying start to life in Bavaria, notching up five goals and four assists in just six Bundesliga appearances. His contribution to Liverpool’s pressing game from the front, which was a hallmark of their success, is now sorely missed as the Reds ceded their Premier League summit to Arsenal.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Sturridge dissected Liverpool’s current struggles: “Luis Diaz is a massive miss for them. When we look at Liverpool last year and how they used to press, he was arguably the one who set the press in the front three.”
Sturridge went on to highlight the significance of Diaz’s defensive contributions: “Ekitike and Isak do work off the ball, but what I would say is they are attack-minded players and I think Luis Diaz sacrificed himself a little bit more defensively.”
He emphasised the need for Liverpool to recalibrate their attacking dynamics, suggesting that one player in the front three must take on the mantle of a defensive stalwart: “In a front three, there has to be one person who does that.”
Adding to Liverpool’s woes, Jamie Redknapp, another pundit on duty, pointed to the conspicuous absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The talismanic full-back has left a gap out wide that replacements including Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong have struggled to fill.
Redknapp commented: “It’s apparent that they’re missing Trent [Alexander-Arnold]. Since the Burnley game, they’ve not consistently started the same right-back, trying Szoboszlai, Frimpong and Bradley without success.”
Liverpool must navigate these tactical quandaries expeditiously if they are to reignite their title aspirations and arrest their declining form.
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