Luis Diaz scored during the fifth minute of stoppage time to rescue a point from a determined Luton Town side as an entertaining Premier League match ended in a 1-1 draw.
First Half
Liverpool had an early flurry in front of the net, but the ball was cleared. Alisson made a save in the 5th minute and started a counterattack that led to a corner. The match opened up from that point with both teams going from end to end. Darwin Núñez had a good chance in the 13th minute, but his shot hit the crossbar and he had another shot saved in the 16th.
Mohamed Salah put a chance high in the 21st minute, but the Reds kept maintaining possession at the half-hour mark. Diogo Jota had a shot in front of goal in the 33rd minute, but the Hatter's keeper made a one-handed save. While the rest of the half was entertaining, neither side could score, leaving the match on level terms at the break.
Second Half
The second half began in much the same as the first. The Reds had plenty of possession, but no shots to speak of. Alexis Mac Allister picked up a yellow card in the 54th minute and he will have to miss the next match due to accumulation. Dominik Szoboszlai had a shot blocked in the 57th minute.
Alisson came up with a big save in the 65th minute on a Colton Morris shot and Liverpool was able to clear the ensuing corner. Substitute Cody Gakpo nearly scored straight off the bench, but his header was just off the bench. Núñez missed an open net in the 70th minute.and then the chances started to come quickly. Núñez had a shot saved moments later and the Reds earned consecutive corners.
After calls for a handball by Liverpool, Luton struck on a counter. Tahith Chong scored thanks to an assist from Issa Kabore in the 80th minute. Ibrahima Konate missed a chance to equalize in the 86th minute, sending the match to stoppage time with Luton up 1-0. Eight minutes of stopping time allowed Luis Diaz to make his mark on the contest. He scored in the 95th minute on a header to rescue a point as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Hats off To the Hatters
Even a Liverpool supporter has to applaud the effort given by Luton today. Not only did they defend well, but they pushed forward when opportunities presented themselves. The draw moves them above the relegation line and this result is one of the most famous in club history.
Even Better Story Lines
With all that Luis Diaz has been through, Hollywood could not have written a better script than him scoring the equalizing goal. The fact that he scored off an assist from fellow substitute Harvey Elliott shows that Klopp pushed all the right buttons of who to bring off the bench.
A Look At The Numbers
Even though Liverpool dominated possession at 73 per cent and outshot the Hatters 24-8, this feels like a fair result. It doesn't hurt Liverpool too much in the standings. In fact, the Reds actually move up to 3rd on the table, which is a far better situation than they found themselves in a year ago at this time.
LFC Globe Verdict
From an impartial observer's perspective, this was a top-quality football match. Yes, we would have liked to have seen the Reds pick up all 3 points, but you can't begrudge Luton sharing the points after their gritty effort. It was also nice to see Luis Diaz get on the score sheet in his first game back with the club. All in all, I am perfectly happy with the result.
Man Of The Match
For Liverpool, the choice is easy. It has to be Luis Diaz. His goal deep in stoppage time, rescued a point for Liverpool. As for the Hatters, the whole team deserves credit, but particularly their keeper who kept his side in contention all match long.
What's Next?
Liverpool will step out of EPL play, travelling to face Toulouse in Europa League action. Kickoff is set for Thursday, November 9th, at 12:45 GMT.
Goals
Luton Town
- Tahith Chong 80'
Liverpool
- Luis Diaz 90+'
Substitutes
Luton Town
- Tahith Chong for Andros Townsend 61'
- Elijah Adebayo for Carlton Morris 75'
- Jacob Brown for Chiedozie Ogbene 79'
Liverpool
- Cody Gakpo for Diogo Jota 66'
- Harvey Elliott for Dominik Szoboszlai 66'
- Kostas Tsimikas for Joe Gomez 67'
- Luis Diaz for Ryan Gravenberch 83'