Luis Diaz scored a late equalizer for Liverpool in his first appearance since his parents were kidnapped in Colombia. After scoring the goal, Diaz lifted his jersey to reveal a T-shirt with the words “Libertad Para Papa” (“Freedom for Papa”), sending a message for his father who is still missing. His mother was rescued within hours of the kidnapping by police, but his father remains missing. Diaz returned to training and was selected on the bench for the game against Luton in the Premier League. He came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute and scored the goal in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw for Liverpool. Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, emphasized the importance of Diaz’s father’s release.
After the game, Diaz was embraced by both Luton’s players and his own teammates on the field. Negotiations for the release of his father were reported to be taking place. Luton’s Tahith Chong looked to be the match-winner with his goal in the 80th minute, but Diaz’s late equalizer prevented Luton from securing a victory. Klopp expressed his happiness that Diaz wanted to be present for the game.
In another match, Aston Villa suffered a 2-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest. Villa’s goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, made a big error when attempting to save a shot. Martinez palmed the ball back toward the goal and it crossed the line, resulting in a goal for Forest. This added to Forest’s early opener and extended their unbeaten record at the City Ground to eight league matches. Villa’s six-match unbeaten run came to an end, and a win could have lifted them into the top four.