View: 49% Liverpool ace Diogo Jota ready to thrive as main striker this season
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota proved he can be the main man for Arne Slot through the middle this season with an opening day goal in the 2-0 win against Ipswich Town on Saturday [17 August].
The Portuguese international broke the deadlock at the midway point of the second half as he found himself unmarked in the penalty area to fire past Christian Walton.
Slot opted against starting Darwin Nunez through the middle in favour of Jota, who believes that to be his best position moving forward this season.
“It’s obviously a bit different from [Jurgen] Klopp where I maybe was useful out wide,” he said on the club’s official website [19 August].
“I think here [Slot] wants our wingers a lot more in one-v-ones and I think we have better options than myself!
“If I stay in the middle and wait for those chances to come in and score them, I think that is what I do the best so you can take that into the season.”
Diogo Jota can be the main striker for Liverpool this season
The 27-year-old failed to nail down a starting spot under Klopp. Injuries have plagued his Anfield career since his move from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020.
He can play anywhere across the forward line but has spent his time at the Reds filling in on the left wing for Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz and as the central striker for Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez.
Jota and Nunez are like night and day. The Uruguayan needs four or five chances a match to score and even then it is not guaranteed, whereas Jota needs only half a chance.
That was also the case against Ipswich. With three shots on target, he scored one, nearly scored with another and missed a big chance [Sofascore].
His likeness to Jamie Vardy in winding up the opposition has endeared him to Liverpool fans and his tenacity on the pitch will be loved by Slot. He made one tackle, one interception, made three ball recoveries, and won six duels against Ipswich [Sofascore].
When utilised on the wings he has proven capable of performing, but Diaz’s silky dribbling is easier on the eye than his more crash, bang, wallop approach and he is arguably the most clinical finisher at the club barring Mohamed Salah.
Jota has scored 29 goals and provided 10 assists in 63 appearances as a striker for Liverpool [Transfermarkt], with 57 goals and 19 assists in 146 appearances across all competitions.
His most effective position for the Reds is as the central striker. Indeed, 49 per cent of his goals for the club have come from operating in that position and last season he scored two and assisted another in the 4-0 win against Bournemouth as the striker.
![Diogo Jota, Liverpool v Bournemouth [21 January 2024]](https://www.liverpoolnews247.com/static/uploads/13/2024/08/Diogo-Jota-v-Bournemouth-1024x576.png)
Diogo Jota is the most clinical goalscorer at Liverpool
In comparison with his Anfield teammates, Jota scored 10 goals and added three assists in 21 Premier League appearances, matching Diaz and Gakpo’s goal contributions in 16 and 14 fewer appearances [FBref].
Jota also had the highest goals-to-shots-on-target ratio among the Liverpool attackers, with 0.53, and the highest goals-to-shots ratio of 0.24.
Slot has proven his ruthless edge with the half-time substitution of Jarell Quansah and now must prove it again by benching club-record signing Nunez and placing his faith in Jota who, if he stays fit, could easily surpass the 20-goal mark in the Premier League this season.
In other Liverpool news, a Liverpool exit for Alisson in 2025 looks to be a certainty.
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