Analysis from Ian Doyle after Liverpool's impressive 4-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League

Arne Slot looks on at full-time following the team's victory in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Anfield on November 05, 2024 (Image: Naomi Baker - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

So continues Arne Slot’s midas touch.

Clearly, whatever the Liverpool does at the moment is turning to goals.

And with it the Reds sent another significant statement they could be considered challengers for major European honours as well as the main domestic silverware.

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While this season’s Champions League remains in its formative stages – this was merely the halfway point of the opening round – the reverberations of this 4-0 thumping of Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will have been felt across the Continent, the spark for which came from another intriguing tactical call from Slot.

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For the second midweek in succession, the Liverpool boss resolved the issue of whether to call upon Luis Diaz or Cody Gakpo by naming both in the starting line-up.

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But whereas at Brighton in the League Cup it meant Liverpool going without a number nine, here Diaz demonstrated his versatility by filling for the first time as Reds player the central striker role with Darwin Nunez rested to the bench.

It was also further confirmation the in-form Gakpo is now firmly regarded as a left winger.

The experiment showed signs of promise early on, Diaz releasing Gakpo for a shot that was blocked and generally pestering the Leverkusen defence and Jonathan Tah in particular, prompting the Germany international to give the Colombian a shove late in the first half.

But it was after the interval the merit of Slot’s decision was emphatically realised with Liverpool, as against Brighton on Saturday, flooring their opponents with a quickfire double.

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If the throughball from Jonez to release Diaz for the first on 61 minutes was sublime, the finish was even better as the forward scooped the ball over approaching Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

Slot, watching on the touchline, threw his hands to his head in disbelief at what had been witnessed.

Two minutes later, Diaz was involved in a move that ended with Mohamed Salah crossing at the far post for the hard-working Gakpo to head in.

Confirmed by VAR after initially being ruled out for offside, the Dutchman now has four goals in his last three outings.

But Diaz wasn’t finished.

On 83 minutes he turned in Salah’s ball at the far post, and during injury time slotted home after Nunez saw a shot saved.

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Now with nine goals for the season, Diaz is already closing on the total of 13 he managed throughout the whole of the previous campaign.