‘Freedom for Papa’
Luis Diaz came off the bench to salvage a point for Liverpool with a stoppage-time goal at Luton. This was Diaz’s first match since his parents were kidnapped in Colombia.
Diaz’s father remains missing, and the forward lifted his shirt to show a message of “freedom for papa” after heading in Harvey Elliott’s cross five minutes into added time.
He later issued a statement calling for those holding his father to release him “immediately”.
The 26-year-old former Porto player had last featured in a Liverpool squad 10 days ago. However, manager Jurgen Klopp said before this match that Diaz “wanted to be part of the team”.
His goal was a poignant and remarkable conclusion to a contest in which Luton had appeared on course for a deserved first league win of the season at Kenilworth Road and a first victory over the Reds since 1991.
Luton eyeing famous win
Substitute Tahith Chong sparked wild celebrations among the home fans, who were eyeing a famous result after he steered in Issa Kabore’s cross at the climax of a superb counter-attack with 10 minutes of the regulation 90 remaining.
Until Diaz denied Luton the win, Rob Edwards’ well organised and athletic side frustrated Liverpool. It was especially a blue game for Darwin Nunez who had a day to forget in front of goal.
The Uruguay forward went closest to breaking the deadlock with a dipping first-half shot that clipped the Hatters’ crossbar. He was unable to convert several other opportunities and glaringly blazed over after Mohamed Salah nodded the ball to him in the six-yard box.
The result leaves Klopp’s side third in the table, three points behind leaders Manchester City. Meanwhile, Luton have climbed out of the bottom three to 17th due to their superior goal difference over Bournemouth.
Luton’s lengthy journey back to the EPL
Liverpool arrived in Bedfordshire searching for their fifth consecutive win in all competitions. But it was only Diaz’s late intervention that spared them an embarrassing defeat against their unfancied opponents.
While Liverpool’s summer outlay on players was around £150m, Luton spent in the region of £20m reinforcing their squad after completing a lengthy journey back to the English top flight.
Relegated from the First Division the season before the Premier League was founded in 1992, they went on to spend five years as a non-league club.
The Reds enjoyed plenty of possession and had 24 shots, but only six were on target and they appeared short of inspiration and efficiency in the final third
