Liverpool convincingly beat AFC Bournemouth 4-0 in a Premier League match last Sunday to go five points clear at the top of table. However, Manchester City has a match in hand and will get a chance to reduce the gap in their next match.
Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota scored a brace each for the Reds to guide them to a resounding win against Bournemouth. In the talismanic Mohamed Salah’s absence, it was a heartening sight for the club supporters to see two of their forwards firing.
Jota has been quite decent for Liverpool so far
Jota is into his fourth season at Anfield and has scored 52 goals in 135 matches for them so far. However, he has made a lot of those appearances for the club as a substitute, which makes his achievements even more creditable.
It was, quite natural as Jota found himself playing second fiddle to Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino during his first couple of seasons at Liverpool. As a result, he was able to play in most of the matches as a substitute only.
Salah’s absence has paved the way for the 27-year-old Portuguese forward to start for the Reds in their last few matches. Jota has a decent return of 11 goals from 22 matches this season so far and those numbers should improve considerably in the upcoming matches.
Liverpool’s playing style has changed a bit this season
Liverpool has made a slight shift to their playing style in the recent past. Their playing style has become somewhat less direct with the departure of players like Mané, Firmino and Jordan Henderson. As a result, the Reds typically play more passes in the final third and rely less on crosses into the opposition than they used to do a couple of years back.
As a result, players like Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo have often got the nod ahead of Jota, as both of them are less direct in their approach than the Portuguese and more comfortable playing passes in the final third.
Jota, on the other hand, prefers to run at the opposition defenders with his speedy forays and also has the knack of finding the net for his team. He also has a good shot on him and is quite adept at scoring goals with headers.
In fact, in Núñez and Jota, Liverpool has a pair of players who are both adept at playing as the left winger as well as the number nine. As neither Díaz nor Gakpo have a very good scoring rate for the Reds so far. Gakpo has 16 goals from 54 matches and Díaz has 17 from 74. Thus, Jota should get the preference ahead of them now at least.
Great chance for Liverpool to win the league
Liverpool has a great chance of winning the league title this year, given their current situation in the league. However, they are still battling on four fronts, still being involved in the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and UEFA Europa League. That leaves plenty of football for them to play.
A lead of five points still cannot be called enough knowing the capabilities of Manchester City. However, the Jürgen Klopp’s men should definitely fancy their chances of winning their second league title in four years.