Luis Diaz has been defended by Colombia head coach Nestor Lorenzo over his record for his country
Diaz has come in for criticism from a section of the Colombia media for being unable to replicate his club output with his national team.
The 27-year-old has scored three goals and contributed an assist in Liverpool's opening three Premier League games
Diaz's relative lack of goal contributions compared to his fellow Reds forwards had been noted by many observers until an improved run since last Christmas.
with the player having netted Colombia's late equaliser in a 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw in Peru on Saturday, national team boss Lorenzo is adamant his captain is also now delivering for his country.
Lorenzo
“Three or four months ago the issue was why he didn’t score goals in the national team and now he has become our top scorer in the qualifiers.
“We said that he is going to score goals, and he is scoring them. I am not worried, for me Luis is doing a good job, let's just let him get on with it because he does it well.”
Diaz was linked with a move away from Anfield this summer given Liverpool were close to signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United before the Magpies pulled the plug on a £75million transfer.
His strong start to the season has helped the Reds keep pace with champions Manchester City
Former City striker Sergio Aguero believes Liverpool have already shown themselves to be title contenders
Aguero
“Liverpool started really strong, especially considering the end of the Klopp era,"
"They've proved to still be one of the teams to beat to get the title, just like it has been over the past few seasons
"But then again, it's not about the start of the season, it's about landing the finish. The Premier League is all about consistency, so that's the element to make note of.”
With Mohamed Salah having netted in all three games and contributed a similar number of assists, Liverpool's wide players have made an impressive start
Aguero said:
"Diaz and Salah have more tenure in the Premier League and more time together than (Manchester City wingers) Savinho and Doku. That makes it harder to compare.
"However, neither of (Doku or Savinho) is the best pair in modern times.
“Salah and Diaz are a scoring combination, they can assist well, and they are very in sync with their team-mates.
“Doku and Savinho need time, but their potential is through the roof.”
Aguero, added: "Diaz had proven his calibre time and time again. In any case, I think Colombia grew because of Luis's own experience in Europe. It took their whole team to another level."
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