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Daniel Sturridge has hinted that Liverpool is missing Luis Diaz following the team's third consecutive loss, falling to Chelsea on Saturday evening. The Reds were left stunned after Estevao scored a last-minute winner for the London side at Stamford Bridge, marking another blow for Arne Slot's squad.
The 2-1 defeat saw Liverpool lose its Premier League top spot to Arsenal, having been stung by last-gasp winners two weekends consecutively, following a 2-1 loss at Crystal Palace the previous Sunday.
Despite triumphing in their initial five Premier League matches as part of a seven-match winning streak across all competitions, Liverpool has not been at its peak, often depending on late goals to clinch victories.
During the summer, Liverpool shelled out north of $600M and smashed the British transfer record twice to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
However, this lavish expenditure was offset by several high-profile exits, including Diaz, which raked in over $269.5M. Other players who departed included Trent Alexander-Arnold, Darwin Nunez and Jarell Quansah.
Diaz transferred to Bayern Munich and has made an immediate impact with the German titans, netting six goals and providing four assists in his first 10 games.
In contrast, Liverpool's offense has not been firing on all cylinders as Slot's restructured front line continues to seek its groove.
Following Chelsea's triumph over the Reds, Sturridge confessed that he feels his former team's decision to let Diaz go - who was eager to leave after contract negotiations at Anfield fell through - has hindered them.
"Luis Diaz is a massive miss for me," the ex-Liverpool forward expressed on Sky Sports. "When you look at Liverpool last year and how they used to press, I think arguably he was the one who would set the press in the front three.
"Szoboszlai would do it in the midfield with that power and dynamism that he has. For me, Luis Diaz, how tenacious he is on the ball and how hungry he is to get it back for his team. He brought something to Liverpool that they are now missing.
"I think Ekitike and Isak and Wirtz work hard, I'm not saying they don't. We can't question their work rate or their quality. But what I will say is that they're attack-minded players.
"I think with Diaz would sacrifice himself defensively. That's what they've got to figure out now, who in that attack is going to give themselves up a little bit. In a front three, there always has to be one guy who goes, 'I'm not stats hungry. '
"You see Gakpo this year scoring more goals, Salah scoring less, the new strikers want to hit the ground running.
"So I think, Jamie (Redknapp, fellow Sky Sports pundit and former Reds captain) questioned the balance in the midfield, but I also think it's in the front three.
"It's important to understand which one of three is going to be the workhorse, who's going to be the one who does what he wants and who's going to be a hybrid of both. Right now, I'm not sure the manager knows what he's going to do."
The decision to sell Díaz wasn't the only choice that puzzled Sturridge at Stamford Bridge, as he also questioned Slot's decision not to start Wirtz against Chelsea.
"I think today's the type of game you need a Wirtz," he said. "Someone who can create something, get the ball in his feet, move it, advance it, maybe win a free-kick.
"Szoboszlai gives you that running and pressing power, but these are the games they signed Wirtz for; the quality on the ball he brings is exceptional."
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