Liverpool left it late against Brentford to secure three points and maintain their advantage at the top of the Premier League. Locked in a 0-0 stalemate for much of the match, the Reds were saved by a late brace from Darwin Nunez in the game’s dying embers to ensure there would still be, at least, four points between themselves and second-placed Arsenal.
Arne Slot’s side were the dominant force for much of the game. Though the Bees had their moments, their 11 shots paled in comparison to Liverpool’s 37. The Reds had over 60% of the ball in the match and their xG tally of 3.40 dwarfed Brentford’s 0.72.
The win for Liverpool means that Slot’s near-perfect start in English football continues. In 21 Premier League games, the Reds have dropped points on just six occasions. Five of those games were draws and their sole loss in the Premier League thus far came against Nottingham Forest, who themselves are in the hunt for Champions League football.
Despite the win, Luis Diaz’s struggles to impress up-front continued. The Colombian is enjoying his best season so far with Liverpool, but much of his good form has come from his natural position out wide. Diaz has scored three goals in seven games as a centre-forward, but two of those came in one match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Supporters Angered by Persistence With Diaz
Liverpool’s blushes were spared by Nunez against the Bees, but the Uruguayan has scarcely been a consistent player across his time at Anfield thus far. Since his arrival from Benfica in a deal that could be worth around £80 million including add-ons, Nunez has shown glimpses of brilliance, but these have been marred by inconsistency.
This has been no different this season and is no doubt why Slot has experimented with other players up front, such as Diaz and Cody Gakpo. For the former, though, it appears that fans may have run out of patience with the idea:
Other fans expressed their annoyance at the Colombian being played out of position, with one claiming: “Sick of Diaz in 9. Play how you’re supposed to or not at all,” and another adding: “Watching Diaz as a 9 against a low block should be a form of torture.”
Nunez can sometimes be a frustrating watch, something that most Liverpool fans have come to peace with, but he is a natural striker, something that Diaz is not. It’s a simple observation, but in the Uruguayan, Slot has a player who has spent his life practising the movements and behaviours of a number nine. While Diaz could and has worked on occasion in that role, he can not offer the natural understanding that Darwin can, regardless of how erratic he sometimes is.
