Liverpool’s exciting 2-2 draw with opponents Arsenal on Sunday noticed misfiring ahead Diogo Jota proceed his long-running function drought, with the Portugal world having now long past 32 video games with out discovering the again of the web at membership stage.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers guy – who arrived at Anfield on a £41m deal again in the summertime of 2020 – had to start with been a scientific presence in entrance of function for Jurgen Klopp’s facet, significantly scoring 15 Premier League targets remaining season within the membership’s push for the name.
While injury has limited the 26-year-old to simply seven begins within the pageant this time round, it’s nonetheless reasonably relating to that the Porto local has been not able to get off the mark, with supporters prone to be shedding endurance with the dynamic marksman.
How did Jota carry out towards Arsenal?
On the face of it, the £140k-per-week dud did make a handful of essential contributions towards the Gunners the day before today after teeing up Jordan Henderson within the build-up to Mohamed Salah’s first-half effort, having additionally received a penalty for his facet after the smash, after cleverly purchasing a bad off Rob Holding.
While such an have an effect on was once ‘now not unhealthy taking into consideration he’s nonetheless nowhere close to his sharpest’, as in line with GOAL’s Neil Jones, Jota did little else to in reality justify his beginning berth, having gave the look of a participant who’s ‘desperately in need of a goal‘, consistent with the Echo’s Ian Doyle – who awarded the striker a 5/10 fit score.
Those woes have been laid naked by means of the ahead’s restricted involvement previous to his withdrawal at the hour mark, having recorded simply 30 touches in his 60-minute trip – fewer than what teammate Alisson accomplished within the sticks (67).
The one-time Molineux hero additionally misplaced ownership on ten events as a marker of his struggles and failed to finish a unmarried dribble, whilst additionally failing to supply a lot in a defensive sense after profitable simply 4 of his ten overall duels and being dribbled previous as soon as.
While Jota’s alternative – Darwin Nunez – did not fare a lot better after squandering a gilt-edged probability past due on, it can be time for the Uruguayan to be unleashed in his position transferring ahead, with the summer time signing having scored 14 targets in all competitions this season.
It has been a specifically tricky run of fixtures after going through Manchester City, Chelsea and the north London outfit in fast succession, despite the fact that with the Reds now on a run of 4 league video games with out a win, adjustments will apparently be had to get the membership’s European qualification hopes again on the right track.
If there’s to be any doable casualty within the coming video games, it must neatly be that of Jota.