Liverpool didn’t have too much to shout about during Wednesday night’s defeat to Everton.
The Reds really only had themselves to blame as they succumbed to a 2-0 loss at the home of their city rivals.
With their Premier League title challenge now just about over, fingers have been pointed at the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk in particular.
The centre-back duo weren’t the only two to struggle at Goodison Park, but it was their inability to deal with Everton’s physicality which allowed the crowd to be whipped into a frenzy. It only looked like going one way from there.
Nevertheless, it certainly wasn’t all bad from Liverpool. They still created plenty of openings, which their forwards of course conspired to miss. And after the game, Match of the Day pundit Micah Richards reserved praise for one Reds star especially.
Micah Richards praises Luis Diaz endeavour
Not many of the Liverpool squad can be pleased with their performance in the Derby on Wednesday.
With a title race on the line, you just need to see more fight from the players. And while Konate and Van Dijk needed to do better, they weren’t the only ones at fault.
Alexis Mac Allister had probably his worst game in a Liverpool shirt, while Dominik Szoboszlai continues to be nothing short of terrible.
But in amongst all of the rubbish, Luis Diaz stood out as one who did everything he could to change the tide of the game.
The Colombian did miss a big chance at 1-0, but his volleyed snapshot was not the easiest of finishes. Then, with Everton having doubled their lead, Diaz went close again, hitting the inside of the post after a good run. It was this piece of play which drew praise from Richards.
“Diaz, who I thought was Liverpool’s best player today, was very unlucky with that [shot off the post].” said the pundit. “He had a very good game.”
Should Liverpool sell Luis Diaz
After a mostly difficult season up to that point, Diaz has really turned it on for Liverpool recently. He did not deserve to be on the losing side last night.
The 27-year-old has rediscovered his ability to beat his man and has been twisting the blood of full-backs across the league.
This uptick in form could be for many reasons. But it’s hard to escape the fact that Diaz has been the subject of interest from the likes of PSG and Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window. Maybe he’s trying to impress someone.
Prior to his improvement, most Liverpool fans probably wouldn’t have minded seeing their No.7 leave. But after what we’ve seen recently, they should be doing all they can to keep hold of Lucho.
If a big offer comes to the table it will be interesting to see how Liverpool react.