Electric Diaz lives up to all the hype

THEY had come in expectation that a former Porto forward would be the difference and, in some respects, they got what they wanted.

But rather than Luis Diaz, fresh from his £37.5million move from Portugal’s second city, the man who lit the fuse was the one who is Mohamed Salah’s closest challenger to be crowned Liverpool’s player of the season.

It is Diogo Jota’s misfortune that he has landed at Anfield at a time when Salah has taken his form to such levels that he is viewed as the world’s best just now. Salah should sweep the board at the end of the season and few would be begrudge whatever gongs come his way.

The fact, though, that we can see Jota is making it a competition should serve notice to what levels he has reached in his second year on Merseyside. During Salah’s time at the Africa Cup of Nations, the Portuguese has taken another step forward to underline his own importance.

Of course it was natural that Diaz (below), whom Liverpool snapped up as the window closed by beating off Tottenham and Manchester United, found all eyes from the Kop on him as his inclusion in the starting line-up generated great expectation.

Excitement would have turned into a frenzy if, after 15 seconds, the Colombian had marked his first start with a goal — which looked likely when Trent Alexander-Arnold spotted an opportunity to play him in.

Diaz would become a persistent scampering nuisance to James Justin. It is early days but the signs are that Liverpool have found themselves another outstanding forward. He was electric all night.

If Diaz wants to understand the levels he must reach, though, he should look no further than Jota, who spent a year on loan at Porto, where he developed a liking for putting Leicester to the sword, scoring in a 5-0 Champions League rout of Claudio Ranieri’s side in December 2016.

Jota scored a hat-trick for Wolves against Leicester in 2019, a defeat that sent Claude Puel spinning towards the exit, and since joining Liverpool, the 25-year-old has continued to be a nuisance to those in blue.

His cameo in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal, including a crucial penalty in the shootout, helped Liverpool knock out Leicester to reach the last four — and ultimately pave the way to Wembley.

Leicester did not play like a team who had lost their hunger and, typically, they were well organised by Brendan Rodgers. It is wretched that a man who won the FA Cup last season should be under pressure but, sadly, this is the modern world.

The visitors’ perseverance meant Liverpool needed fight and ruthlessness and, in Jota, they had a man who embodied those qualities. With the first half meandering to a close, he popped up to break the deadlock. His second, at the death, keeps the pressure on Manchester City.

To underline Jota’s importance, this was the 10th time in this campaign that he had scored Liverpool’s first goal. He might not be winning any personal awards at the end of the season, but such influence may see his team winning them instead. It would not be a bad consolation.