Diogo Jota‘s 2023/24 season was stricken by harm, robbing Liverpool of one in all their most deadly forwards at a time when objectives had been in brief provide – a development that may’t proceed.
Of the Reds’ 58 video games in Jurgen Klopp‘s last season, the 27-year-old was unavailable for 23 of them attributable to three totally different harm absences – which accounts for 39.6 p.c of the season.
Availability is a participant’s best asset, however it’s in brief provide when it issues Jota – who in any other case is broadly thought of a first-choice member of the entrance line, when match.
A lethal finisher and a useful poacher, however his accidents grew to become too massive of a headline in 2023/24.
Diogo Jota, 2023/24
Began: 19 (All competitions)
On instead: 13
Unused sub: 2
Objectives: 15
Assists: 4
General Season Score: 7.42
Caught on the sidelines
Throughout Liverpool’s tough patch, after we had been crying out for a participant to complete any of the possibilities created, Jota’s title continuously got here to the fore.
His inventory rose regardless of being caught on the sidelines, a nod to his capabilities which have usually seen him drag the Reds again right into a match or seal a outcome completely.
It’s what made his harm absences all of the extra irritating. Of the 23 video games he missed, Liverpool misplaced or drew 10 of them, and solely as soon as was there greater than a objective in it.
The collateral ligament tear in his proper knee towards Brentford was unfortunate, a case of being within the improper place on the improper time, but it surely saved him out for 11 video games.
Earlier within the season, he missed eight matches attributable to a muscle harm after which an extra 4 within the run-in with a hip grievance – which got here throughout the strategy of scoring the sealer at Fulham.
And we received’t discuss his ridiculous one-game suspension after two yellow playing cards at Tottenham!
The longest run within the facet he might, subsequently, muster was 11 video games – between his muscle harm and the incident at Brentford – and he began seven of them.
Klopp was constantly a preacher for the significance of rhythm, and whereas Jota’s finish tally of video games missed was 23, you may safely say he wasn’t in high kind for a substantial extra.
He defined this himself in January: “Though I might be recent there’s that rhythm that you just clearly lose when you’re out for a time period.”
Jota did nonetheless provide a helpful contribution on the scoreboard, however it should all the time be a case of ‘what if’ in relation to how Liverpool’s season would have turned out had he remained match all through.
The deadly poacher
The Reds don’t possess one other poacher or finisher in the identical bracket as Jota, he was the one ahead within the squad who overperformed their xG this season.
In all competitions, he completed with 15 objectives and 4 assists – and of his strikes, 4 had been openers and 7 had been the ultimate objective of the sport to verify of the outcome.
He can drift out and in of video games, however when moments come up to have an affect, he readily takes them and has a major half to play ultimately outcome.
To additional that time, regardless of solely enjoying 34 p.c of the minutes within the Premier League this marketing campaign, he accounted for 15 p.c of the Reds’ objective involvements – solely Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez had a higher proportion.
He is a useful weapon to have throughout the ranks – when you should utilize him – and also you sense Liverpool’s season would have panned out otherwise had he been match all through.
Within the away video games at Man United, the go to of Man Metropolis and the journeys to Everton and West Ham, they’re solely 5 examples, however Liverpool received none as Jota watched on from the remedy room.
Counter-attacks had been squandered and possibilities went begging time and time once more, however with out their poacher, nothing caught, and the Reds grew to become responsible of over-playing the ball within the field.
The Portuguese ahead affords a special profile to that of the crew’s different forwards, and he helps the sunshine of others to shine brighter, and Arne Slot will hope to have the ability to continuously name on his big-time participant.
The following problem
The change of supervisor will create a variety of intrigue for gamers all through the squad, although you sense Jota can play a giant position beneath Slot.
The Dutchman prefers a 4-2-3-1 system, and the 27-year-old is versatile sufficient to play in plenty of these ahead positions, both because the central participant or on the wings – the place Slot prefers tempo.
His flexibility shall be key, however so will his availability.
Jota performed the Nineteenth-most minutes throughout the squad in 2023/24, and with a Euros marketing campaign with Portugal to come back, the hope shall be that he can construct a powerful basis this summer time and into pre-season.
He wants confidence in his physique and Liverpool have to know they will depend on Jota to be extra accessible than not in 2024/25.
Finest second: Two objectives and an help vs. Bournemouth
Worst second: Three totally different harm absences totalling 23 video games on the sidelines.
Function subsequent season: If match, a first-choice member within the ahead line.
