Why Jota is now more than just a support act for Liverpool
Liverpool’s trip to the Vitality Stadium had the potential to be a tricky one.
Bournemouth headed into the game in fine form and the Reds were without the likes of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andrew Robertson, to name a few of the absentees.
Jurgen Klopp’s side struggled to really impose themselves in the opening 45 minutes. The Reds had just four attempts on goal in the first half and most Expected Goal models had the away side finishing the half with a total of just 0.10.
After the break, it was a different game entirely. Klopp switched things up and tweaked his front three. Diogo Jota started the match as the centre-forward but was moved to the right for the second half. Luis Diaz went from right to left while Darwin Nunez, who spent the opening 45 minutes on the left flank, was deployed centrally.
Within four minutes, the changes paid dividends with Jota threading a pass into the path of Darwin for the opener. The Liverpool No.20 had a first half to forget but made the second half all about him.
He followed up his assist with two goals. The first was a well-taken, first-time, near-post effort that cannoned in off the woodwork after being played in by Cody Gakpo. His second finish wasn’t quite as ruthless but it was clinical. He miss-hit a shot, much to the delight of the home crowd, before reacting quickest to rifle the ball past Neto and into the bottom corner, much to the dismay of the Bournemouth faithful.
Jota finished with a WhoScored rating of 9.66, the highest of his Premier League career. The former Wolves man Has only bettered that rating on two occasions; once for Porto and then in Liverpool’s Champions League win over Atalanta in 2020 (9.92).
The 27-year-old now has nine goal involvements in just 760 Premier League minutes this term. The Portugal international is involved in a goal every 84.4 minutes, the fourth best in the Premier League this season. He’s been a revelation since returning from injury having scored against Burnley and Bournemouth while assisting in wins over Newcastle United and Arsenal.
This isn’t a make-or-break period for Jota but it could be an important stage in his Liverpool career. For the first time since his move to Merseyside, he’s the most senior attacker for the Reds. There’s no Sadio Mane, no Roberto Firmino and no Salah. He’s never had the responsibility of being the main man for the Reds. At least one of the iconic trio have been there to shoulder that burden. Now, though, the pressure is on him.
He might not be the most expensive attacker at Klopp’s disposal. Jota probably isn’t the most exciting player either. But, now into his fourth season at Anfield, there’s an expectation that he delivers. Even more so now that Salah isn’t available. Right now, all that matters is output and Jota is as reliable as they come.
The performance against Bournemouth was quintessential Jota. In the first half, he was barely involved and he was loose in possession. Then, out of nowhere, he pulls out an outrageous finish. When he’s on the pitch, Liverpool are a serious threat.
In fact, Jota has never lost a Premier League game in which he’s scored in - a run that stretches an incredible 43 matches now if you include his time with Wolves.
Klopp clearly loves him. Following his cameo against Burnley on Boxing Day, the Liverpool boss had this to say: "His football brain, he is a very smart footballer, that's how it is. He understands the game particularly well.
"I really think Portugal is blessed with some of these kind of players who really understand the game on a different level – and he is one of them, definitely. It gives him a chance to see situations slightly earlier, to adapt to different things the opponent is doing a little bit quicker. That's it, on top of that he is both-footed and a great finisher."
If he can keep Liverpool’s season on track until the cavalry arrive - Alexander-Arnold, Szoboszlai and Robertson should all be back before the end of the month - he will have stepped up at the right time for the injury-hit Reds and proven he can be more than just the support act.
