Liverpool head coach Arne Slot heaped special praise for on-form duo Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo before the Girona game. Liverpool will play their sixth Champions League game against Girona on Tuesday after winning their first five games this season.
The Reds have won 18 out of 21 games in all competitions so far, finding balance between offence and defence. While legendary forward Mohamed Salah continued his prolific goalscoring tenure at Liverpool, Diaz and Gakpo have thrived on the left.
Both the Colombian and the Dutchman have rotated with each other but maintained their high level of consistency so far. Furthermore, Diaz has featured as a make-shift number nine under Arne Slot as well and thrived in the striker position.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised both in-form left-wingers Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised both in-form left-wingers Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz
The 27-year-old scored an impressive hattrick against a strong Bayer Leverkusen defence, showcasing his quality as the potential false nine. Meanwhile, Gakpo has maintained his strong form since the March international break of 2024 and played at his preferred position.
Speaking to the reporters (via Liverpoolfc.com), Slot highlighted the crucial competition between Diaz and Gakpo on the left-wing position. He said:
“It is a healthy competition between Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo. Our fans saw a few times already Luis Diaz playing as No.9 as well in one or two games this season. For the last five, six, seven or eight weeks we’ve had four players available for three positions, so we’ve rotated once in a while mostly the left wing and the nine positions [and] our right winger has always been Mo Salah until now. They’ve both had a lot of starts, they’ve both been excellent for us – Luis Diaz and Cody – but the other two have done very well, also.”
Slot further highlighted the best traits of Diaz that have helped the club maintain their strong offensive form this season. He added:
“I am happy about all four of them, but you’re asking me [specifically] about the Colombian and I am really happy with Luis Diaz for as long as I’ve been here. Excellent work-rate, big threat, great footwork, can score goals, so a very special player for us.”’
Both Diaz and Gakpo need to maintain their fantastic form throughout this season for the club to turn their sensational start into major trophies. There is a strong chance of both Diaz and Gakpo featuring together since Diogo Jota continues to struggle with injury.
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The Reds have a formidable squad, allowing them to reach the top of the Premier League and the Champions League. Slot needs to continue using the squad to their best, rotating the top players amid the tough fixture congestion as they keep getting top opponents in back-to-back games.