Luis Diaz struck a late equaliser for Liverpool to deny Luton Town a memorable Premier League victory on Sunday afternoon.
The resilient Hatters were excellent throughout, frustrating a Reds outfit who had previously been beaten just once all season. While Liverpool undoubtedly had chances, Luton largely contained the visitors before pouncing on the break late on through former Manchester United academy star Tahith Chong.
Diaz, whose current personal situation has been well documented, returned to the squad and fittingly salvaged a point for the visitors after meeting Harvey Elliott’s teasing cross at the back post.
How the match unfolded
Luton were excellent in the opening period, with Liverpool’s chances arriving sporadically. The hosts did a great job of ensuring they weren’t subject to wave after wave of white and green pressure.
The Reds did have chances with Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota both going close, but the hosts also posed a threat. The Hatters were able to win enough ground and aerial duels to mount some pressure on the visitors, and they particularly had joy down Trent Alexander-Arnold’s flank. Alisson, though wasn’t tested in the opening 45 minutes.
Luton’s unwillingness to merely sit in and play for a point rendered the contest an entertaining one with action at both ends of the pitch. This dynamic continued at the start of the second half before Liverpool started to get a foothold after Jurgen Klopp’s triple substitution with 25 minutes remaining. There was a period when it looked as if an away goal was inevitable with Nunez missing a gilt-edge chance from close range.
The Uruguayan was made to pay for his woeful miss as Luton, with ten minutes remaining, scored a memorable opener. After Liverpool’s claims for handball were waved away, Luton broke superbly with substitute Chong beating Alisson to Issa Kabore’s cross before finishing.
They came ever so close to securing a memorable win, but Diaz denied them with a determined header in stoppage time to salvage a point or the Reds.
GK: Thomas Kaminski – 7/10 – Might’ve thought he would’ve been busier, but Kaminski nonetheless made big saves to deny Jota and Nunez.
RWB: Issa Kabore – 7/10 – Had been pretty quiet before he burst down the right and delivered the cross for Chong’s opener.
CB: Teden Mengi – 8/10 – Mengi’s early clearance to deny Diogo Jota at the back post set the tone for a stout defensive display.
CB: Tom Lockyer – 8/10 – The Luton skipper embodied his side’s defensive effort. Did a fine job defending the box.
CB: Gabriel Osho – 8/10 – Saw plenty of Salah, and matched up well against the Egyptian. Like his partners, the aggressive Osho defended the Luton box expertly.
LWB: Alfie Doughty – 7/10 – Doughty was almost cavalierish in possession, but his bravery often paid off. A heart-in-your-mouth sort of display, but the wing-back’s enthusiasm can’t be questioned.
RM: Andros Townsend – 6/10 – The veteran had a bright first half, but his lack of recent football seemed to catch up with him after the break. Looks like he’ll be a useful addition, nonetheless.
CM: Ross Barkley – 9/10 – Guilty of overplaying at times, but Barkley’s courage in possession allowed Luton to counter with success. Delivered sequences of real class with the ball, and was more than sturdy defensively.
CM: Marvelous Nakamba – 7/10 – The former Aston Villa midfielder worked tirelessly alongside Barkley to ensure Liverpool couldn’t progress through the centre.
LM: Chiedozie Ogbene – 7/10 – Fast. Very fast. Ogbene was Luton’s biggest threat throughout and Alexander-Arnold certainly didn’t enjoy the one-on-one duel.
ST: Carlton Morris – 6/10 – Luton’s top scorer didn’t get much change out of Liverpool’s excellent centre-halves. Battled well in the air.
Substitutes
Tahith Chong (61′ for Townsend) – 7/10
Elijah Adebayo (75′ for Morris) – 5/10
Jacob Brown (80′ for Ogbene) – 5/10
Subs not used: Tim Krul (GK), Pelly Ruddock, Jordan Clark, Ryan Giles, Zack Nelson, Jayden Luker
Manager
Rob Edwards – 9/10 – Could he have coached this better? Luton were brilliant on Sunday afternoon, with Edwards’ pragmatic but proactive approach leading them to a point. It was substitute Chong who gave the Hatters the lead, too.
GK: Alisson – 6/10 – It wasn’t the most active of outings for Alisson, but the Brazilian nonetheless made a huge save to deny the Hatters midway through the second half.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10 – Luton may have had some success attacking his flank, but Trent’s display in possession was typically brilliant. Popped up in a myriad of positions, with his long, raking balls often pinpoint.
CB: Ibrahima Konate – 7/10 – Excluding a couple of rash sequences, Konate was impressive at the heart of defence.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 8/10 – Morris didn’t fancy testing Van Dijk, with the Dutchman delivering a performance that resembled his dominant vintage.
LB: Joe Gomez – 4/10 – This was just the fifth time Gomez has started at left-back in his career, and it showed. Awkward and uncomfortable, offering little in possession.
CM: Alexis Mac Allister – 5/10 – Largely nullified in possession by the astute work of Morris. Didn’t finish the contest without picking up his customary booking.
CM: Ryan Gravenberch – 8/10 – A dynamic showing from the Dutchman, who’s growing more comfortable in a Liverpool shirt with each passing game.
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai – 5/10 – The Hungarian has been in majestic form as of late, but he was anonymous on Sunday and withdrawn after the hour mark.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 4/10 – It was one of those rare days when Salah simply wasn’t at the races.
ST: Diogo Jota – 5/10 – Tried his utmost to have an impact by roaming from a central position, but Jota’s only notable contribution was spurning a big first-half chance.
LW: Darwin Nunez – 4/10 – Looked up for it early on, but was just far too wasteful in the final third. Missed an absolute sitter.
Substitutes
Harvey Elliott (66′ for Szoboszlai) – 7/10
Cody Gakpo (67′ for Jota) – 6/10
Kostas Tsimikas (67′ for Gomez) – 5/10
Luis Diaz (83′ for Gravenberch) – 7/10
Subs not used: Caoimhin Kelleher (GK), Wataru Endo, Joel Matip, Ben Doak, Jarell Quansah
Manager
Jurgen Klopp – 7/10 – His side were frustrated for the most part, but Klopp’s substitutions did have an impact with Elliott and Diaz combining for the winner.
Player of the match: Ross Barkley (Luton Town)
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
90Mins
