Jamie Carragher has credited Arne Slot with rejuvenating Liverpool forwards Luiz Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah by adjusting the configuration of their front line.
Slot is certainly not overwhelmed by filling Jurgen Klopp's big shoes as he took charge at Anfield and led Liverpool to the top of the Premier League.
The Reds beat West Ham 5-0 at the London Stadium on Sunday to make it four straight wins over the festive period, and the Opta supercomputer now gives them a huge 91.3% chance of becoming champions of England for the 20th time crowned. .
Diaz, Gakpo and Salah were all on target in the first half of Liverpool's most recent match and they have now scored 43 goals between them in all competitions this season (Diaz 12, Gakpo 11, Salah 20).
Salah has already been involved in 30 goals in 18 Premier League games this season (17 goals, 13 assists), the fewest appearances it has taken for a player to make 30 contributions in a single season.
While Salah has moved up a level from his usual right-wing role, Diaz and Gakpo have swapped positions in recent weeks, with the former playing as a central striker and the Netherlands international operating from the left.
Speaking as an expert on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Carragher praised Slot for making that change: “When I talk about Slot, Liverpool didn't buy any players in the summer.
“He has rejuvenated so many different players. Gakpo looks like a different player, Diaz looks like a different player, [Ryan] Gravenberch in midfield… even Mo Salah!
“It's only been five games since Diaz played as a centre-forward, starting with the [Bayer] Leverkusen game, and look at those numbers.
“Slot is not a million miles away from Jürgen Klopp, it's just what he has done with certain players. Previously, Gakpo would have been in the center and Diaz on the left.
“Gakpo looks a very different player on the left than he did under Klopp, and Diaz looks better playing through the centre.
“That's not to be critical of Jurgen Klopp, but that small gesture from Arne Slot has made such a huge difference.”
Diaz and Gakpo have both shown excellent performances this season, significantly outperforming their underlying expected goals (xG).
Gakpo's 11 goals in all competitions have come from chances worth just 5.9 xG, with Diaz scoring 12 times from 7.7 xG. They are both among the top 30 best performers in Europe's top five leagues (who have played at least 10 matches with available xG data).
The Reds are next in action on Sunday against rivals Manchester United, having already beaten the Red Devils 3-0 in August, with Diaz scoring a brace.
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