🦁 Premier League Player of the Week: Luis Suárez-esque

It was another blockbuster weekend in the Premier League with a tussle for the ages at the Etihad and a day to forget for London’s east end contingent.

But our Player of the Week is …

Luis Díaz (Liverpool)

A new era has meant fresh beginnings for everyone at Liverpool this season.

No one though, has started the campaign under Arne Slot better than Luis Díaz.

The Reds’ Colombian attacker endured a difficult time of it in 2023/24, frustrating the Anfield faithful in Jürgen Klopp’s final year.

Despite being given plenty of opportunities to shine under the German, Luis Díaz struggled for form in front of goal – netting a paltry eight times in 32 Premier League starts.

Having netted twice in the opening two games of last term, the South American wide man went on a remarkably barren of just one goal between the end of August and the end of January.

Now there were, of course, terrible off-field incidents which caused this blip in form but a change of coach has clearly brought about a change of impetus in the 27-year-old.

A goal and an assist against Brentford has now been backed up with a double over Manchester United and another pair of excellent strikes this weekend at home to Bournemouth.

It means Luis Díaz has scored five in five for Liverpool – last season it took the former Porto man until February to reach that total.

And his two goals against the Cherries this weekend brilliantly encapsulated all the elements of Luis Díaz’s blistering start to 2024/25.

His first, on 26 minutes, showed a perfect mix of speed, anticipation, touch and skill.

A long ball over the top of the Bournemouth backline from Ibrahima Konaté found Luis Díaz, and with Kepa having rushed off his line, the Colombian coolly rounded the Spanish shot-stopper and finished into an empty net.

His second came just 90 seconds later as a neat pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold found Díaz at the back post before he coolly slotted an effort into the back of the net.

It was, in truth, almost Luis Suarez-esque – just about as high a compliment you can pay to any modern day Liverpool forward.

Unlike Suarez though, this South American could actually fire Liverpool to the title come May.