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Gary Neville has made a surprising claim about Liverpool forward Luis Diaz after the Reds drew 1-1 with Manchester City in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday, March 10.
Luis Diaz put in a lot of effort and perseverance throughout the game. He worked hard to drive the Reds forward but squandered a couple of great chances to give the home side the advantage.
Diaz's performance was crucial for Liverpool. Even though he did not have a single shot on target, his dribbling and quality on the ball were a threat to Manchester City throughout. He hounded the defenders and did his best to generate chances but will feel disappointed not to have earned his team a victory.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville took notice of how busy the Colombian forward was on the night and gave the 27-year-old an unexpected compliment (via TBR Football):
“He still plays like an eight or nine year old kid. Just those three moments. He deserved a goal for his effort and endeavour.”
Although Neville's remarks might sound strange at first, they were meant as a compliment, revealing how Diaz played with great passion and excitement.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's take on Kevin De Bruyne's reaction to being substituted during Liverpool draw
Kevin De Bruyne's outrage upon being replaced during the match against Liverpool was taken positively by Pep Guardiola. The Manchester City playmaker was instrumental in John Stones' goal (23') but found it difficult to make an impact as the Reds started to control the second half.
In the 69th minute, Guardiola replaced De Bruyne with Mateo Kovacic in an unexpected move. It was obvious that the Belgian was upset at being removed from the pitch, and he reacted angrily.
Later, Guardiola told Sky Sports that he saw De Bruyne's unhappiness as an indication of his competitive spirit and desire to play. The Manchester City manager said (via 90min):
“That’s good. That’s good. He will have a chance [in] the next game to prove how wrong I was, so next time he’ll have it. It’s fine. We needed a player that had the ball and [would] keep it. It’s not about pressing, it’s not about this play and that’s why Mateo [Kovacic] is really good with that and [Bernardo Silva] and pull Phil into a central position."
Guardiola tweaked his tactics after the replacement, inserting Phil Foden in the center of the field in an attempt to get better possession of the ball. This almost paid off, as Foden hit the bar shortly after, although Liverpool remained the more threatening side till the end.
