Introduction
Earlier this year, Luis Diaz joined Liverpool from Porto. He was undoubtedly the best player in Portugal before joining Liverpool. The 25-year-old was the leader in every statistic, and his tricky feet made him a fan favorite.
It was inevitable that his effectiveness would be reduced after joining the Premier League because of the vast difference in the quality of the league. But has he actually been a failure? The answer is NO.
Some Statistics
Luis Diaz has contributed 13 goals since joining the Reds across all competitions at a rate of 0.47 per 90. He is also averaging 3.75 Shot-Creating-Actions per 90.
Besides that, he is also an elite ball carrier averaging eight (8) progressive carries per 90 in the Premier League and the Champions League (since he joined Liverpool).
His dribbling is one of his best traits. On average, he completed 61-percent of his dribbles.
His intensity is unmatched, and his pressing numbers prove it. He averages 18.2 presssures per 90 and has an average success rate of 40.9-percent. In simple terms, it means he regains the ball around 7.5 times during a single match.
Visuals and more Statistics
The above image shows the smarterscout ratings of the Colombian in different metrics.
The only rating that needs to rise is the Attacking Output one. An output of 0.47 goal contributions per 90 isn’t bad, but Diaz has the ability to take it to another level.
The Colombian is also very sound aerially, and his contribution towards defense is something that very few wingers have. He has the ability to retain the ball for long periods while carrying it to dangerous areas.
He isn’t good at progressing the ball using passes, but his carrying ability makes up for it.
His link-up play is good, but one thing he can surely develop is his final ball. It will help Liverpool once they start utilizing Darwin Nunez to the fullest.
The above map shows all the shots taken by Díaz in his first Premier League season with Liverpool. (The reds ones are goals while the white ones are unsuccessful shots)
In his first Premier League season, he played a total of 10.6 90s and scored four goals. He had a conversion rate and shooting quality of 11-percent while accumulating 0.40 non-penalty expected goals per 90.
We can call it a flaw or confidence, but he takes a lot of shots from outside the box. He has had success with it as he is a great striker of the ball; it just doesn’t seem feasible. (Remember the famous saying: “xG always catches up on you.”)
Conclusion
People are too quick to judge players based on small patches of bad form. Luis Díaz has taken significantly less time to adjust to the Liverpool system. He is still providing the team with goals. In my opinion, the numbers will keep increasing with time. For me, he is a guaranteed starter.
Data from FBref, Opta and smarterscout.
