"Back to his best", "Was looking like prime Neymar today" - Liverpool fans laud star's 'phenomenal' performance in draw against Fulham
Liverpool fans have waxed lyrical about Luis Diaz even comparing the Colombian attacker to Neymar after his excellent showing in a 1-1 draw against Fulham tonight (January 24).
Jurgen Klopp's Reds advanced to the final of the Carabao Cup courtesy of a 3-2 win on aggregate. Diaz's 11th-minute strike proved to be decisive in taking his side to Wembley for a showdown with Chelsea on February 25.
The 27-year-old grabbed his seventh goal of the season when his deflected effort beat Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The German shot-stopper should perhaps have done better in trying to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net.
Diaz deserved his goal which eventually ended up being Liverpool's winner on aggregate. He impressed tonight, winning six of 10 ground duels, making three key passes, and completing all three dribble attempts successfully.
The Colombia international dealt with a testing period during the first half of the season when his father was kidnapped. But, he continued to be a standout performer for Klopp's side during that time and after his father's release.
Tonight was yet another stellar showing from the former FC Porto winger as he took his side to Wembley. One fan compared him to Brazil hero Neymar:
"He was looking like prime Neymar today."
Another fan feels Diaz has got back to his best:
"Incredible player. Back to his best."
One fan only had one answer to who the man of the match was:
"Only one answer. Luis Diaz. Was phenomenal."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Diaz's outing against Fulham:
Neymar explains how difficult it is to play against Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk was once again impressive in Liverpool's 1-1 draw (3-2 aggregate win) against Fulham. The Dutch defender has been in excellent form this season, perhaps the Premier League's best center-half.
The 32-year-old has made 23 appearances across competitions, helping his side keep seven clean sheets. He's also chipped in with one goal and two assists for the Merseysiders.
Neymar has played against Van Dijk four times during his career, twice while the Netherlands skipper has been at Anfield. The former Barcelona superstar described how difficult an opponent the Reds skipper was back in 2022 (via OneFootball):
"Playing against Van Dijk is tough because as a centre-back, he’s so strong and intelligent. He knows when it’s the right time to close you down and when to go in for a tackle. That makes it harder. He’s intelligent. It’s harder to play against intelligent centre-backs. They don’t make mistakes."
Van Dijk's got back to his best the season and it's played a significant role in Liverpool's stellar showing thus far. Klopp's men sit top of the league and are still in both the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. Their newly-appointed captain will now take them to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final next month.