Darwin Núñez

Luis Díaz is getting into a good Liverpool habit. It suggests he should be able to help Darwin Núñez pick up the slack as Mohamed Salah's role evolves.

[Roberto Firmino](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/liverpool-roberto-firmino-jurgen-klopp-24871711), who has played 170 fewer minutes. [his penalty against Manchester City](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/liverpool-man-city-jurgen-klopp-24634180)), and will always be in or around the right areas to keep his total ticking over. The opportunity against the Magpies was also tricky, but in a different way — in this instance, Díaz dribbled around the goalkeeper, only to lose his balance as a result. While they were always likely to win the match, by getting ahead early the Reds could play with a freedom which has been all too rare in the first five league games of 2022/23. [Trent Alexander-Arnold](https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/trent-alexander-arnold-liverpool-klopp-24873581) and Mohamed Salah will pull off into the distance in time, same as every year. The previous player to achieve this? Firmino’s cross in the third minute enabled Díaz to give Liverpool their only lead of the league campaign which has occurred earlier than stoppage time. He has been the shot taker for eight of the 19 to date, which is remarkable when he’s only been on the pitch for 127 minutes. In both encounters, Liverpool were only able to generate a single clear-cut chance, with those falling to Díaz on each occasion. At first glance, Luis Díaz appears unlikely to make up the deficit which might occur thanks to Salah’s evolving role. The Uruguayan’s red-hot rate will cool — even Salah only averaged one every 68 minutes in his first Premier League campaign with Liverpool — but the way the team has played in the opening weeks of the season shows they are gearing their attack towards maximising Núñez’s potential. The all-important race to be Liverpool’s top clear-cut chance creator for 2022/23 is heating up nicely.