It seems that with their high form, Liverpool will easily stifle Luton – the team that was once considered one of the weakest teams participating in the Premier League and has only won five points after 10 matches. In the most recent cоnfrоntatiоn, in the third round of the FA Cup in 2008, Liverpool crushed this opponent 5-0.
In fact, the trip to Kenilworth Road caused many difficulties for Jurgen Klopp and his team. Despite controlling the ball 74% and launching 24 shots – three times more than Luton, Liverpool had almost the same number of goals as the home team (6 compared to 5).
Diaz jumped high and headed in, helping Liverpool win a hard-fought point at Luton. Photo: Reuters
Besides the excellence of Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski, the poor luck of the attacking players is part of the reason why Liverpool could not convert opportunities into goals. In the 5th minute, Darwin Nunez dribbled the ball and shot from outside the penalty area but was blocked by Kaminski. Not long after, the Uruguay striker Һit the bar, although the move to catch a long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold could be considered Liverpool’s most outstanding combination in the first half.
In the 21st minute, it was Mohamed Salah’s turn to shoot over the bar when he had a chance to make a move in a messy ball in the penalty area. Not long after, Ryan Gravenberch’s breakthrough effort opened up the opportunity for Diogo Jota to score, but Kaminski once again excelled in saving.
Chong shared his joy with his teammates after opening the score for Luton. Photo: Prime
After the break, Liverpool did not create many more opportunities as their opponents defended more focused. There are times when Klopp’s team has to use high crosses into the penalty area in the hope of getting the ball to the position of good aerial players like Nunez or Jota.
In the 68th minute, new striker Cody Gakpo missed a chance to score at close range. Just two minutes later, Nunez added to his list of unbelievable misses when he shot into the air just a few meters after Salah’s cross.
Wasting many opportunities, Liverpool paid the price. In the 80th minute, from a cоunterattack, Issa Kabore stretched for substitute midfielder Tahith Chong to score. Previously, the away team’s defense was warned when Chiedozie Ogbene passed the ball past two players and created an opportunity for Carlton Morris to face Alisson Becker.
Diaz lifted his shirt to reveаl a message of support for his father after scoring the equalizer for Liverpool. Photo: Reuters
The home team immediately increased their defense to preserve the score, causing Liverpool to experience difficult minutes, hardly creating any significant opportunities in the remaining 15 minutes. But in the fifth minute of 10 extra minutes, Diaz flashed a header from Harvey Elliott’s cross, keeping a point for Liverpool. This is a meaningful goal for the Colombian striker. After scoring, he lifted his shirt, revealing the words “For Dad”. Recently, Diaz’s parents were kidnapped in their hometown, and only now has his mother been released.
The draw resulted in Liverpool missing the opportunity to move up to second in the group. They have 24 points, equal to Arsenal but two points behind Tottenham and three points behind Man City. In the middle of next week, Liverpool will visit Toulouse in the Europa League before hosting Brentford in round 12.