Jürgen Klopp believes Liverpool’s style of play can help Luis Diaz develop as a goalscorer
Like Diaz, Salah and Mane have always been considered ‘wide strikers’ rather than midfield number nines, and neither had scored particularly many goals before signing for Liverpool.
Salah’s best scorer was 19 goals in the 2016-17 season at Roma, but in his five seasons at Merseyside, the Egyptian has averaged 31 goals per season.
Mane, who moved to Bayern Munich in the summer, has combined 10 and 15 at Southampton, but has increased that ratio to a season average of 20 after signing for Liverpool the year before Salah in 2016.
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The Colombian international has combined 14 and 11 in his first two seasons at Porto, but had already tallied 16 last season before moving to Liverpool in the January transfer window.
He scored six goals for his new club in the second half of the 2021–22 season, but after missing several chances in the opening day draw with Fulham, when both Salah and new boy Darwin Nunez scored, it was a He played in Liverpool’s first home game against Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Klopp is careful not to put pressure on Diaz, who is still adapting to Liverpool’s high-intensity style, but is confident goals will come more regularly.
“We’re working on it, but not with Lewis specifically,” he said. “The other two scored and he didn’t, so we won’t eliminate him. So we show him the way. We don’t need it. It doesn’t matter. You can’t force it.” .
“People were asking: ‘How can you play without Sadio?’ Just let it go, you know the situation he had, the big chances he had, and he was unlucky.
“Lewis is in really good shape and that’s more important. Boys know it in the moment. it happens. It’s a normal process. ”
Klopp said both Salah and Mane benefited from Liverpool’s attacking philosophy, and so did Diaz.
“That’s how we play. That’s how we get the boys into situations. Of course it’s about whether [scoring] It’s about the positioning of the players, how the players defend, how they win the ball back, how the players can be quick in the moment,” said Klopp.
“They will be put in a situation where they will score a lot of goals and that will make you a player we will remember. Sadio scored twice against us when he played for Southampton. But not every week, when he scored against us, he didn’t start the game.
“Consistency comes from confidence, teammates and the structure of the game.
“Lewis has definitely improved by understanding what we are doing, but the learning process doesn’t happen overnight. Can you score 10-15 goals? Obviously quality and potential.It’s about fighting for moments like this.He needs one goal and then we’ll go from there.”
Nunez is expected to make the first start in place of Roberto Firmino, but Harvey Elliott can be a nod in midfield in place of the injured Thiago. Starting for Manchester City.
Likely Liverpool team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson. Henderson, Fabinho, Elliott. Salah, Nunez and Diaz.
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