The Arne Slot tweak that transformed Luis Diaz in a way Jurgen Klopp never did

Colombian started in false nine role, flanked by Mohammed Salah and Cody Gakpo, against Bayer Leverkusen

All hail the Arne Slot evolution and the continued rise of his Liverpool team of the tweak. If Jürgen Klopp was famed for his heavy metal football, Slot is all about the fine tuning. There have not been many radical policy shifts, but transforming Luis Diaz into a prolific goalscorer may be one of the most unexpected and progressive Slot moves yet.
Utilising Diaz as a false nine against Bayer Leverkusen carried all the hallmarks of the kind of Slot positional experiment which is differentiating him from the previous manager. Diaz has never played the role for Liverpool before, and Cody Gakpo seemed a more natural choice as Darwin Nunez was rested.
During a lacklustre first half, other coaches might have abandoned the idea prematurely as it initially looked like an indulgence. As the teams began engaging in a tactical sparring contest – respectful and vying for central dominance – Diaz looked uncomfortable receiving possession with his back to goal and was dealt with by centre-half Jonathan Tah who knew better than to let the Colombian turn and dribble.
Then, in a reflection of the evening, everything changed for the South American just after half-time. Diaz received Curtis Jones’s perfect pass and deliciously chipped keeper Lukas Hradecky – kick-starting the latest Kop party and beginning his journey towards claiming the match ball, presuming he could get his hands on it. 
“I need to go and find that ball now because I need to keep it somewhere special at home,” he said. This is a Diaz that Liverpool have not seen too frequently before now – the impudent finish for the first goal testament to the confidence with which he is playing in the penalty area.
Diaz has often produced wonderful moments in front of goal, but the stress is on the word moments. He scored 13 goals last season. In the Premier League, his overall record is a poor return on his chance-to-goal ratio, with 176 shots yielding just 21 league goals. There has been a vast improvement since Slot’s arrival as Tuesday’s hat-trick took his tally for this season to nine. He should already be targeting at least 20.
The slow-mo of that Luis Diaz finish… 🤩#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/tlawYnhwbJ
If he delivers that kind of number alongside the prolific Mohamed Salah and increasingly reliable Gakpo, Slot’s weaponry will be the envy of Europe. All of this without Diogo Jota.
“Not only do people in Colombia like Lucho, the fans of Liverpool love him,” said Slot, who not for the first time hailed the player’s work rate as much as attacking productivity.
“I don’t love him but I like him a lot,” he added, smiling.“You look at the goals he scores and Cody scores, but also how they trek back.”
There was no indication from Slot that Diaz’s positional change will be anything more than a temporary response to circumstances. But it is a new option which will keep the opposition manager guessing. There was no chance Xabi Alonso could have imagined Diaz as a central striker.
This is becoming a theme of Slot’s early work, seeing the multi-tasking potential of his players rather than limiting them to fixed roles.
The pitchside view of the moment @LuisFDiaz19 completed his hat-trick 🙌⚽️#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/JWqHcI4hnH
The Dutchman’s first subtle but hugely effective adjustment upon his arrival was, of course, to turn Ryan Gravenberch into the number six Liverpool never knew they had.
Over three months, Gravenberch has almost casually become an early contender for player of the season, with double-takes required when he misplaces a pass. Meanwhile, his party piece of receiving possession with his back to goal in the centre-circle before turning and gliding 30 yards up-field continues to confound opposition.
Other players are showing signs of improvement under Slot’s coaching, too. Kostas Tsimikas has performed to a high level in back-to-back games for the first time in a year, and if Jones continues his form of the past month he will be getting a call-up from Lee Carsley next week and Thomas Tuchel in the New Year.
“The pass was as good as the goal in my opinion,” said Slot on Jones’ assist. This was Diaz’s night, though. It demonstrated more signs of Slot unlocking his full potential – the erratic, occasionally frustrating finisher of his first couple of years at Anfield banished.
It remains to be seen if this is a momentary spell or part of a sustained attacking blitz in which Diaz will reap greater rewards. Either way, he, Liverpool and Slot are riding the wave.
We cannot yet say Liverpool are much different. It remains to be seen if they can be described as much better. What is true is that some of their players – of which Diaz is one – are enhancing their game in Slot’s well-adjusted re-imagining of his predecessor’s work.