Luis Diaz came off the bench to rescue Liverpool with an injury-time equaliser and break Luton’s hearts.
Liverpool had dominated possession for much of the game, with Darwin Nunez looked the most likely to score for, though he was prevented from scoring by a resolute Luton defence. But it was the hosts who went ahead with nine minutes to go when Tahith Chong came off the bench to finish off a stunning counter-attack.
But the night belonged to Diaz, who came on just after Chong’s goal, with the Colombian rising highest to head in an equaliser deep into injury-time.
The best news from Kenilworth Road on Saturday evening was the return of Luis Diaz to Liverpool’s squad. Diaz is in the middle of an awful family situation, with his father still missing after being kidnapped by a rebel group last weekend.
He sat out the wins over Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth as Colombian authorities worked to secure the safe return of his dad. While that has not yet happened, Diaz did encouragingly make himself available for the visit of Liverpool.
While the attacker was only on the pitch for the final seven minutes, he came up with a stunning equaliser to leave Kenilworth Road emotional. He rose highest to head the ball past Thomas Kaminski, revealing a message that read “for papa”.
Liverpool’s change in system over the past year has undoubtedly unlocked a new edge in Klopp’s team. Right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold frequently moves into midfield, with left-back Joe Gomez coming inside to create a back three.
But that system can leave the Reds vulnerable out wide, something Luton looked to take full advantage of. As the first-half neared its conclusion, a graphic from Sky Sports revealed that the hosts had made 59 percent of their attacks down Alexander-Arnold’s side of the pitch.
The Liverpool defence struggled to contain Luton winger Chiedozie Ogbene, with Ibrahima Konate finding it difficult to keep up with him. Klopp was forced to alter his tactics after half-time, with Gomez pushing on as a more conventional full-back.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is facing a growing issue with the results of his side on the road in the Premier League. The Reds have won just twice away from home in the top-flight this season, with their last victory on the road coming on 16 September.
Both of the wins against Newcastle and Wolves also required late goals for the Reds to secure the three points. With Klopp having aspirations of challenging for the title, it is an issue that needs to be rectified, with Liverpool having now gone three league games without a win away from home.
While Liverpool dominated the ball, they struggled to break down their hosts. That made it a different type of disappointing away result compared to the other games, when the Reds came up against teams wanting the ball, suggesting there is a wider issue.