There were moments of balletic brilliance on the touchline, and countless others times when he would literally run through a blue wall, emerging unscathed in readiness for the next showdown.
Diaz has run marathons for the Anfield cause this season, mostly at a sprinters’ pace. He has also done so in the most trying personal circumstances, his father, Luis Snr’s presence at Anfield fixtures since Christmas a reminder that there is more to life than missing a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Reflections on Liverpool’s season have tended to focus on the mercurial talent of Darwin Nunez – the wildcat who might miss from six yards only to find the top corner from twenty-five. Diaz is not dissimilar in how prolific he misses acceptable opportunities, the drawback being his goal rate does not often make amends.
Where it really matters, there is no comparison to the player he replaced in Klopp’s front three – Sadio Mane.
He has seamlessly absorbed Mane’s role in executing the tactical and team ethic, as capable of winning possession and leading Klopp’s high press to keep elite defenders penned in.
Sadly for him and the team, he is not possessed with the same poise and cunning when supplied with the kind of pass from Mohamed Salah which demanded a shot to match.
As with the catalogue of misses in the Nunez portfolio, Liverpool have rarely paid a price for the lack of a finishing touch.
Klopp’s side has still lost just twice all season – and lest we forget it was a clinical Diaz strike wrongly scrubbed off against Tottenham Hotspur that contributed to one of them.
Now Liverpool have ten games to ensure their title bid is not defined by the Diaz goal in North London that wasn’t, and those at Anfield that should have been.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
