Carragher identifies Liverpool change that could prove "pivotal" in trophy quest

08 January 2024 , 00:17

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Carragher identifies Liverpool change that could prove "pivotal" in trophy quest

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has suggested Luis Diaz's return to form could be a huge boost for the Reds as they gear up for the second half of the season.

Jurgen Klopp's side got the better of Arsenal at the Emirates to dump the Gunners out of the FA Cup and book their place in the fourth round of the competition. It was the hosts who enjoyed the majority of possession and clearer chances, but a late second-half flurry saw off Mikel Arteta's men.

Jakub Kiwior's 80th minute own goal helped Liverpool on their way, before Diaz effectively ended the game with an expertly taken strike in second-half stoppage time. The Colombian international enjoyed one of his better games in recent weeks, constantly contributing to the defensive effort as well as going forward.

Diaz was the subject of praise from Carragher come the end of the game. The ex-Anfield ace took to social media to claim: "Winning today wasn’t my priority for the team, it was no injuries or replay, but once the game starts you can’t help but be desperate for the win! Huge result, but what could be pivotal for @LFC, it looks like the real Luis Diaz is back in these last two games."

Klopp was clearly delighted with the result, but was quick to point out that getting one over on Arsenal in a cup competition does not mean much in terms of the race for the Premier League title this term. The Reds boss was quick to quash such talk during his post-match media duties on Sunday evening.

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Luis Diaz scored Liverpool's second against Arsenal (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Asked if anything can be read from the win, Klopp explained: "No. I can’t. It doesn’t mean nobody can, but I can’t. If we draw now Man City away, for example, next round of the FA Cup, then we play Bournemouth, next FA Cup [game], Chelsea and then Arsenal again here. It’s really tough.

"I can’t read anything there. I know this league is crazy-difficult but you have to find solutions. I said it plenty of times: there are a thousand ways to win a game, we just have to find one. That unfortunately sounds much easier than it is, but for tonight it worked. So that’s good."

Josh O'Brien