If there was any debate over who Liverpool’s best option was to lead the line under Arne Slot, Diogo Jota has answered it emphatically.
Who was Liverpool’s quietest player away to Man United? It was Jota, right?
Almost every other Liverpool player made more of an impression, but that’s not to say he didn’t also play well.
There was one moment that summed up the subtle brilliance of Jota, however, coming in the lead up to Luis Diaz‘s opener.
The No. 20 raced towards goal as Ryan Gravenberch marauded forward, gesturing for the ball to end up at the back post.
Both Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai were loitering there, rather than Jota, and the Colombian powered home Mohamed Salah‘s cross.
On the face of it, it doesn’t look like much, but the tactical nous that Jota showed in that moment summed up his footballing IQ.
Lesser attackers would simply be thinking about getting into a goalscoring position, but Liverpool’s centre-forward was aware of everything going on around him in a cauldron of pressure.
This level of intelligence is something Jurgen Klopp always admired about Jota, saying of him last December.
In these opening three games of the season Jota has been electric, bagging a goal and an assist apiece and proving to be the perfect foil for Salah and Diaz.
His ability to time runs into the box, act as a running decoy for others and put himself about have played a big role in Liverpool’s 100 percent start.
Slot’s style requires a striker who possesses some of Roberto Firmino‘s attributes, in terms of an ability to link with others, a high level of intelligence and fundamental hard work, and Jota has all of those things.
While not yet flying on the goal front this term – his 13 percent shot accuracy is surprisingly low – he is also arguably Liverpool’s best finisher.
Last season, Jota only missed three big chances in the Premier League compared to Salah’s 17 – outperforming his xG by +4.7 to Salah’s underperforming -2.5 – while 46.3 percent of his shots hit the target, ahead of the Egyptian (43.9%), Darwin Nunez (43%), Cody Gakpo (36.4%) and Diaz (34%).
His industry is also admirable, with only Szoboszlai running further in a game in 2024/25 to date per the Mail‘s Lewis Steele, and the fact that Jota covered 11.4km at United highlights his influence amid a ‘quiet’ performance.
At Wolves, and with Klopp at times, Jota was used in a wide role, but he has made it clear how happy he is taking up an exclusive central berth under Slot.
