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In the near future, Liverpool’s future manager will need to find a replacement for one of their most exceptional players, Mohamed Salah. This may prove to be a daunting task. However, in the past month, Diogo Jota has demonstrated his ability to effectively fill in for Salah while he was away at the Africa Cup of Nations and recovering from injury.
Jota is consistently dependable while Darwin Nunez can be unpredictable in an amusing way. In the absence of Salah, Jota is Liverpool’s top scorer and actually has a higher chance conversion rate than the team’s talisman. He has also stepped into Salah’s role in another aspect, as players like Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz, and Cody Gakpo have all had playing time on the right side in recent matches. However, Jota has made the biggest impact.
Jota was shifted to the right during the half-time changes in Bournemouth’s game. In an unusual position, he managed to score two goals. One of these was against Chelsea, where he pushed past Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile. Jota has been a major disruptor for Anfield, breaking up Jurgen Klopp’s usual front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Salah. He has a talent for sneaking into empty spaces, making it difficult for defenders to track him.
Klopp has always valued his positional awareness, ability to read the game, and movement, making him a favorite among the team. While former director of football Michael Edwards deserves recognition for signing Salah, it was Klopp’s scouting abilities that shone through in the recruitment of Jota. Unlike with Salah, Liverpool did not have to compete with top clubs for Jota’s signature in 2020, but Klopp had noticed something special in the Portuguese player that others had not.
“The level of his game understanding is unmatched, which is what makes Diogo an invaluable player for our team,” stated the manager of Liverpool. “Since I first saw him at Wolves, I was immediately impressed by his potential. His ability to play all three positions up front is crucial, especially in the absence of Mo.”
“When strikers are performing well, they must take advantage of it. They ride the wave and if possible, they can score a few more goals. That is exactly what he did. The goal he scored against Chelsea was incredible. However, one can only have the confidence to get past two defenders when they are brimming with self-assurance. He did just that and was outstanding. He set the tone for the game and gave us the necessary direction.”
It was expected that Chelsea would be Jota’s opponents. Jota has proven to excel in important matches. He has scored two goals and made two assists in five games against Manchester United while playing for Liverpool. He has also scored two goals, including a game-winning goal in injury time, in four matches against Tottenham. Last month, he made a significant impact in the game against Newcastle.
Jota’s preferred rivals have consistently been Arsenal. He will be facing them on Sunday and, out of 10 encounters with the Gunners while playing for Liverpool, Jota has scored seven goals and provided two assists. He has been particularly successful at the Emirates Stadium, where he has scored five times, including a brace in a Carabao Cup semi-final two years ago.
Diogo Jota has already found the back of the net five times at the Emirates Stadium.
Klopp believes that the player’s fearlessness, big-game mentality, and footballing instinct can be attributed to his Portuguese heritage. According to Klopp, the country produces a high number of intelligent footballers despite its smaller size, making it stand out in the football world. He also notes that the quality of players coming from Portugal is exceptional.
Klopp’s main worry is that despite Jota’s ability to dodge opponents and create opportunities, he is still susceptible to getting injured by them. “He has had a few unfortunate injuries at crucial times,” Klopp stated. “Diogo always seems to get knocks in every game. If I look at the medical reports since he joined us, he is consistently listed for minor injuries like bruises or knocks. In addition, there have been a few instances where he has been out for longer periods, which affects his overall performance.”
The data indicates that Liverpool’s highest scoring season was 21 goals. However, Jota’s role as both a substitute and being occasionally benched may skew his impact. Looking at goals scored per minute may provide a more accurate evaluation: currently, he scores every 103 minutes. Furthermore, he has scored four goals in the last four games and seven in the last 11.
Jota was the first to score in Liverpool’s 4-1 victory against Chelsea this week.
“He was in really good shape before he got injured, came back and is in really good shape, he is literally flying,” Klopp added. “Everything looks light, he is fresh, looks explosive.”
That explosiveness renders a 32-match, one-year goal drought all the odder but Jota now has 20 goals in under 10 months, despite the summer break and a month out before Christmas. Jamie Carragher branded him Liverpool’s best finisher in the Premier League years and if Robbie Fowler’s advocates may not concur, he is one of the finest in the division now. His 29 per cent chance conversion rate is the sixth best of anyone with three or more goals in the top flight this season, the third best of those with at least eight.
Klopp doesn’t solely base his judgment on goals and values Jota’s overall contribution. “He just has that special something,” the German remarked. “He is a well-rounded player, and he’s aware of that and so is everyone else.” Especially Arsenal.
Source: independent.co.uk
