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Diogo Jota is predictable but perfect for Arne Slot's Liverpool
Arne Slot has had the perfect start to life as Liverpool manager.
The Dutch tactician has guided the Reds to three wins from three in the Premier League and they’re the only team in the English top-flight yet to concede a goal.
The system he’s had the 2019/20 Premier League champions adopt, one that looks like a 2-4-4 shape in possession, has brought the best out of the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz.
In fact, with three assists and three goals in the first three games of the season, Salah is one of the most in-form players in the Premier League.
Only Erling Haaland (seven) has more goal involvements than the three-time Golden Boot winner. And Diaz is showing arguably his best form since the switch to Merseyside.
The No7 netted the opener against Brentford, making it three successive seasons in which he’s scored the first goal of the season at Anfield, before finding the back of the net twice at Old Trafford as the Reds beat the Red Devils before the international break.
By comparison, Jota has had a quiet start to life this season.
He struck against Ipswich, the first goal of the Slot era, and he assisted Diaz to give Liverpool the lead against Brentford, but with just two goal involvements this term, he’s been the least productive attacker for the Reds this term.
That isn’t a dig. It is a fact.
At a glance, his showing at Old Trafford was quite disappointing.
The 27-year-old had just one shot and attempted just 11 passes during the 76 minutes he was on the pitch. He had a 64% pass success rate and didn’t create a single opportunity.
Diogo Jota bags Liverpool's first Premier League goal under Arne Slot 🤩 pic.twitter.com/OmiuSV4XFY
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 17, 2024
Jota failed to complete any of his five attempted dribbles. The Portugal international was dribbled past on three occasions, made zero tackles and won just 2/15 duels before being replaced by Darwin Nunez.
Some fans have pondered whether the Liverpool No9 might get the nod against Nottingham Forest after the international break, with Jota’s bright start to the campaign seemingly coming to an abrupt end.
However, the headline figures aren’t telling the whole story.
The former Wolves winger has been deceptively effective for Slot and his role in the starting XI should not be up for debate. He’s done nothing wrong to justify being dropped.
For example, he’s been unfortunate in the penalty area.
While his expected goals (xG) haul of 1.6 has yielded just one goal, Diaz and Salah have finished well, turning their 1.8 xG into three goals each.
Jota has been just as dangerous as the two in-form attackers for Liverpool. A combination of poor finishing and bad luck is the difference between the No20 and his teammates in attack. But, as we know, finishing is fickle.
A scuffed shot could open the floodgates.
He’s as involved as the other two attackers, too, averaging a similar number of efforts (3.2) on a per 90 basis.
Furthermore, he’s been a dual threat for the Reds. Only Salah and Alexander-Arnold have created more 'big chances' for Liverpool this term. Simply put, Jota has been a goal threat and a creative threat.
The versatile Portuguese winger just gets what Slot wants from his team.
Jota played a pivotal part in the opener against Manchester United without even touching the ball.
In the build-up to the goal, you can see Jota pointing to Diaz as Liverpool progress play down their right flank.
With the space the No20 has, he could look to make a dart into the area to get on the end of a cross. But he realises that De Ligt is watching his run and Diaz is free.
So he just keeps the Dutch defender engaged, so he’s forced to defend the front post and this leaves the Reds with Diaz and Szoboszlai attacking the back post.
Oddly enough, in doing nothing, Jota does everything to ensure this move ends in a high-value opportunity for Liverpool.
This out-of-possession intelligence is something Klopp referenced last term.
“He understands the game really well. He understands it on a different level, he sees situations slightly earlier to adapt quicker," he said.
This finish from Diogo Jota 😮💨
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 11, 2024
🎥 @LFC pic.twitter.com/r5kxde2W4r
It is also something Slot mentioned during pre-season: “It helps to have a striker who is smart and intelligent and knows when to make the deeper runs.”
Even without goals and assists, what Jota brings to this XI is valuable and that is why he’s likely going to continue to get the nod over Nunez. Slot knows what he’s going to get from his current starting centre-forward.
He is predictable. He’s almost boring. But that is what the former Feyenoord boss wants. He wants control. He wants to kill the opposition with passes and the only way to do that is to have distinct patterns of play.
Liverpool need attackers who can do the same thing over and over again.
Jota has shown he can do that. Darwin, so far, has not.
The Uruguayan is chaotic and he thrives in transition-ball. He’s unreliable and inconsistent but impactful. At this moment in time, he’s the opposite of what the Reds need in attack. And that is why the one-time Atletico Madrid attacker is looking like a Slot favourite.
He's doing the basics while posting similar numbers to Diaz and Salah.
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