How Diogo Jota has made himself integral to Liverpool's rebuild

There was a time when Diogo Jota seemed the natural heir to Roberto Firmino.

Up front in the early weeks of 2021-22, Jota was in splendid form, into double figures before Christmas with the habit of scoring vital goals and influencing games for Jurgen Klopp’s team.

It was his second season as a Liverpool player. His first was good and his second was better. He finished up with 21 goals in all competitions although the end of the campaign did not shine as brightly as the start.

Luis Diaz arrived in January and made an instant impact. Then Jota suffered an injury in February and Klopp tinkered about with his front line when fatigue set in as they went in pursuit of four trophies.

Only Jordan Henderson made more than his 55 appearances as they won two competitions and went close in the other two, but Jota’s goals dried up and he started none of the three cup finals.

His next two seasons were disrupted by injuries and Klopp signed Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo as the forward line evolved.

Under Arne Slot, it is as if Jota has rewound time by three years. Up front again, fully fit and among the goals, with his fourth of the season to clinch the win at Crystal Palace where he might have scored three.

The previous week at Wolverhampton, he was involved in both goals in their 2-1 win. First with the cross for Ibrahima Konate’s header and then winning a penalty scored by Mo Salah.

It was a generous decision, especially reflected upon from this side of one not given against Virgil van Dijk for a similar offence at Selhurst Park but those are the breaks going Slot’s way.

Going Jota’s way too, as he makes himself integral to the rebuild. His style suits Slot, football played at a steadier tempo with more intelligent jabs of pace than the recent Klopp teams. More so than Nunez certainly, who is faster, more physical and more explosive but untidier and often erratic.

Jota is secure in possession and combines with others. He is mobile, creating spaces and angles. He can spin wide and deliver crosses as at Wolves and can time his movement across goal to finish as he showed at Palace and Ipswich.

He provides a genuine threat in the air and tactical acumen albeit with a cynical edge. He will put his foot in and make fouls on the turnover to stop the break just as he will tumble over to win them.

You could see him thriving in the Manchester City team but once again he is dropping hints that he might become Liverpool’s keystone, the new Firmino. The challenge is to maintain it.

Can he extend this fine start to cover the entire campaign? Can he stay fit as the games stack up? Can he turn four goals in nine into a 20-plus season? At the same time, can Liverpool kick on after the international break?

Nine wins from the first 10 games represents a brilliant start for Slot. Indeed, his courage to resist more drastic change is a reassuring sign of confidence and a manager who knows his job.

And yet everybody at Anfield will be aware the next 10 fixtures will be a very different test. Some of them at least without goalkeeper Alisson Becker and culminating in the visit of Manchester City to Anfield in the Premier League.

Before the City showdown in 55 days come home games against Chelsea, Brighton and Aston Villa, and trips to Arsenal and Southampton. There are Champions League ties against Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid. And a Carabao Cup tie at Brighton.

After these 10 games comes a midweek trip to Newcastle followed by a Mersey derby, most likely the last one ever to be played at Goodison Park and sure to be dripping in Evertonian emotion.

By Christmas, we will know the strength of Slot’s Liverpool and whether Jota has the resolve to spearhead the charge.

FIVE THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

1. Jarrod Bowen can consider himself more unfortunate than most to bedropped by Lee Carsley, surely paying a price for West Ham’s poor start just as Eberechi Eze did for Crystal Palace’s form. 

England have fierce competition in forward areas which does not exist everywhere in the team and both Eze and Bowen are in the crosshairs of this and the interim manager’s determination to show loyalty to those who played for him in the Under 21s.

Angel Gomes retained in vital England role

2. Meanwhile in central midfield, Angel Gomes was left out on his return to Lille after an eye-catching England debut last month, then sent off in the next game at Sporting in the Champions League, which meant he missed out on a famous victory against Real Madrid. 

But he retains his place in an area where Carsley’s options are very limited and celebrated with his first Ligue 1 goal for nearly two years, on Saturday against Toulouse. 

Maldini back in Italy camp

3. Normal service is resumed in Italy with a Maldini back inside the Azzurri camp. This time it is Daniel, 22-year-old son of 126-cap legend Paolo and grandson of Cesare, the distinguished former Italy player and manager. Daniel has been called up for the first time, reward for his bright start to the campaign with Monza.

Tottenham's teenage talent 

4. Ange Postecoglou probably knew the answer when asking, ‘how many 17-year-olds are playing in the Premier League?’ after playing Mikey Moore for 90 minutes in Tottenham’s Europa League tie at Ferencvaros on Thursday. 

According to Stats Perform data, Moore is in a select band of seven 17-year-olds to have played more than 100 minutes at clubs in the top five European leagues. 

And the only one in England. Others were Lamine Yamal, Pau Carbasi and Marc Bernal (all Barcelona), Sidiki Sherif (Angers), Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille) and Marc Domenech (Mallorca).

Penalty saves popularity soars 

5. Penalty saves are back in fashion in the Premier League. We had to wait until December for three last season but Jordan Pickford’s to deny Anthony Gordon on Saturday was the third this season. The others have been by Robert Sanchez and Andre Onana.