Liverpool showcased the full range of their impressive squad depth as they steamrollered West Ham out of the Carabao Cup.
Arne Slot has so far held back from using a fair few of his players this season, preferring to focus on a small group up to this point.
But with the games now coming thick and fast, the Liverpool head coach had little choice but to rotate in numbers on Wednesday.
There was some early concern for Liverpool after West Ham took the lead. However, the Reds soon went through the gears, ending up 5-1 winners at Anfield.
One of the key players on the night was Curtis Jones. Jones has been used sparingly by Slot so far, but the Liverpool academy graduate took his chance to start in midfield.
If Jones was good, though, then Diogo Jota was amazing. And speaking after the match, Curtis was quick to praise the man who scored Liverpool’s first two goals of the evening.
Curtis Jones hails ‘world-class’ Diogo Jota
Jota was not one of those who really needed to prove a point to Slot on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old has already cemented himself as part of the Dutchman’s go-to XI in the early part of the campaign.
However, after Darwin Nunez scored a screamer against Bournemouth at the weekend, Jota perhaps felt he needed to send a reminder of his qualities, too.
Against West Ham, the little Portuguese did that in emphatic style. Having bagged Liverpool’s crucial first two goals, he was a deserving man of the match winner.
Asked about Jota during a post-match interview with LFCTV, Jones admitted that he loves playing with the forward, who he described as being ‘world-class.’
“The thing is with Jots, there’s times when he won’t score goals but he’s a massive help on the pitch,” raved the 23-year-old.
“He’s never afraid to get on the ball, he’s always there to help. He’s a strong lad, he will hold the ball well, he’s quick, he can score off both feet, he can score with his head there as you’ve seen, he’s an overall threat.
“Plus he’s a great lad as well,” Jones smiled. “He helps you out loads on the pitch and stuff. He’s world-class now but on top of that he’s an amazing guy as well.”
Who should be Liverpool’s starting striker?
So far this season, Slot has been going with either Nunez or Jota as his starting striker, with Jota winning that battle five times out of six.
On Wednesday, though, the 46-year-old decided to get them both on the pitch together. It was a formidable looking thing for West Ham to deal with.
Ultimately, we’re not completely sure that the tactic worked. It’s perhaps more necessary for Liverpool to have an extra body in the midfield.
As a result, moving forward, it’s very likely that it will continue to be either Nunez or Jota in most games this season.
Both offer big, but very different qualities. So, we think Slot’s plan is basically to tailor his front man to the team Liverpool are playing against. There’s room for two, but this was undoubtedly Jota’s night.
