Luis Diaz will learn to match Sadio Mane's output - Liverpool will need him to

Liverpool can thank Luis Diaz for his brilliant equalising goal in the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace last night, but he needs to continue producing.

The Reds stumbled to another draw which has seen them take two points from a maximum six so far.

Diaz was signed to be the Sadio Mane replacement on that left wing and his mazy run and brilliant has shown that he can replicate Mane's brilliance.

However, Liverpool are going to need him to step up to the plate on a more regular basis if they stand any chance of winning silverware this season.

Why Diaz needs to continue to perform

Since signing in January, the Columbian winger has settled in perfectly to life on Merseyside. The winger has made the left-wing spot his own and at 25, he's ready to be one of Liverpool's main men.

He's replaced the outgoing Mane who produced so much brilliance over the years for the Reds and now it's Diaz's turn to step up to the plate. He's currently unbeaten in the Premier League and he totalled 11 goal contributions from January to the end of last season.

The positives are that Diaz has settled in, he fits the system and his pace will give any defender a tough day's work. He also ranks highly in a number of key stats for a winger such as progressive passes, dribbles completed, pass completion, touches in the opposition area and shots total.

Fans have moaned that Diaz's output is poor and his decision-making can be rash - however, that was how Mane used to be. He hadn't scored more than 11 in the PL before joining Liverpool.

After joining Liverpool, and Jurgen Klopp, he began to improve his decision-making, finishing and his overall football IQ as a result of being at the club. Diaz and Mane both arrived at Liverpool at similar times in their career and in terms of age with only a year difference.

Looking at Mane's expected goals per 90 - it rose every season while he was at Liverpool and the exposure to more chances allowed him to hone in on his game and become a consistent, top goalscorer. Liverpool fans should keep that in mind the next time they criticise Diaz in front of goal, over time the goals will come.