Liverpool ease past Nottingham Forest in Luis Diaz’s absence
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Diogo Jota of Liverpool celebrates scoring the opener in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Sunday by holding up the jersey of teammate Luis Diaz, whose parents were kidnapped in Colombia.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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LONDON – Liverpool recovered from the late withdrawal of attacker Luis Diaz to extend their unbeaten run in the league against Nottingham Forest to 25 matches after a 3-0 win at Anfield on Sunday.
The result leaves the Reds three points behind surprise Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur on 23 points.
The Reds opened the scoring via Diogo Jota after 31 minutes, from a swift counter-attack.
After Forest centre-back Murillo was robbed by Alexis Mac Allister, the Reds stormed forward through Mohamed Salah, who slipped the ball to Darwin Nunez inside the box. The Uruguayan’s snap shot was saved by Matt Turner but the ball fell kindly into the path of Jota to slot home.
The Portuguese attacker celebrated the goal by holding up a jersey of teammate Diaz.
Diaz was left out of the squad after his parents were kidnapped in Colombia, with manager Jurgen Klopp saying everyone at the club is worried.
Jota told the BBC: “Luis was with us in the hotel then he went home. It’s a very hard situation and I don’t know how anyone would react if it happened to you.
“He was going to play. I played instead of him and I showed him his shirt to show we’re with him and we hope everything works out. It’s unimaginable to think a situation like this could happen. We can just support him and show him we’re with him.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said late on Saturday that Diaz’s mother had been rescued after they were kidnapped in northern Colombia, but officials were still searching for his missing father.
Colombia’s attorney-general’s office said it had been working intensively on the case.
“From the moment the attorney general’s office learned of the kidnapping of the parents of the Colombian player Luis Diaz, in the Barrancas sector of La Guajira, a specialised team of prosecutors, police and military personnel have been working to find the location of these people, clarify the facts and find those responsible,” the office said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Local media reports said that Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda were at a service station when armed men on motorbikes kidnapped them.
“We had to obviously make a late change because of the private situation involving Luis Diaz,” Klopp said ahead of the game at Anfield.
“It’s a worrying situation for all of us and it was a pretty tough night. I have never had that before, it’s a new experience I never needed.”
Earlier, Liverpool issued a statement saying they were aware of the situation involving Diaz’s family and were focusing on the player’s welfare.
Diaz, who has played 43 times for Colombia, was signed by Liverpool in January 2022 in a deal reported to be worth €45 million (S$65.2 million). He has scored three times for Liverpool in all competitions this season.
The Reds managed to cope ably in his absence, scoring their second four minutes after their opener.
Dominik Szoboszlai played a lovely one-two with Salah before cutting the ball back to Nunez, who sent it into the roof of the net. Questions had been asked about Nunez’s finishing following the 5-1 midweek Europa League win over Toulouse, as he missed an open goal after dribbling past a defender and the goalkeeper.
Salah made it 3-0 on 77 minutes after Turner misjudged Szoboszlai’s raking ball forward, allowing the Egyptian to score his 10th goal of the season.
It also proved a good night for the Reds’ local rivals Everton, who beat reigning Europa League champions West Ham United 1-0 at the London Stadium, thanks to a Dominic Calvert-Lewin goal six minutes after half-time.
The result moved the Toffees five points clear of the drop zone in 15th spot on 10 points and was a welcome respite after a difficult week.
The Merseysiders are facing a possible points deduction for allegedly breaching profit and sustainability rules. According to media reports last week, the league is recommending a maximum of 12 points, which could see the struggling team in severe danger of relegation.
West Ham’s fourth defeat in six league games sees them ninth on 14 points. REUTERS, AFP
