Liverpool are scrounging for any scrap of positivity right now, but they could find light at the end of the tunnel after a woeful spell of shocking form in the Premier League ahead of tonight’s pivotal Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield.
In fact, concerns of a wobble have now morphed into a fully-fledged crisis, with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds still chasing their first league victory of 2023.
During this period, the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers have all put three past Alisson en route to victory, whilst a drab stalemate against Chelsea at Anfield last month laid bare Liverpool’s problems in attack since the turn of the year.
This is a perilous situation and one that Klopp will be desperate to rectify, having clinched the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last season, along with narrowly losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid and falling an agonising one point short to Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
There are a range of reasons as to why this internal collapse has occurred, and while injuries have played a part, the manner of the fall from grace cannot be chiefly attributed to setbacks this time around.
Nonetheless, Liverpool have felt the effects of several key players’ absences, notably Luis Diaz, Dioga Jota and more recently Virgil van Dijk.
Could Jota star against the Toffees?
Jota is in contention to make his return to the fold after missing 22 games since his calf injury setback against Manchester City in October, having only started on two occasions in the Premier League this term following a pre-season hamstring problem which saw him sidelined for the opening few weeks of the campaign.
Despite his stop-start season, the Portuguese forward has still supplied five assists from eight matches, including just four starting appearances, which is an illustration of the dynamic skill set that the Reds have been missing in his absence.
Klopp, who has hailed the 29-cap star as “exceptional”, waxed lyrical about Jota’s distinctive qualities, stating: “He has the technical skills, he has the physical skills and he is very smart and can learn all the tactical stuff pretty quick. He has the speed, has the desire to finish situations off really good. I think his goalscoring record is pretty impressive.”
Last season alone, the 26-year-old was one of Liverpool’s most pivotal components; not quite the pizzazz of Mohamed Salah, nor a replica of the blistering brilliance of Sadio Mane, Jota is still an incredibly efficient and composed seeker of goals, and the statistics above highlight just how important he is to his team.
Just take a look at FBref’s statistics on the player – Jota ranks among the top 1% of forwards in Europe’s five main leagues for rate of assists, the top 8% for shot-creating actions and the top 9% for progressive passes over the past year. With Liverpool looking static and devoid of inspiration right now, such traits will only enhance the collective effort and help to burrow a hole out of their current rut.
With the gem – who was signed from Wolves for £41m in 2020 – often enjoying himself against Everton in the past, Klopp will certainly be delighted to have such an impactful player back for tonight’s derby. Jota has scored two goals from just four starts against Liverpool’s city rivals, losing just once in eight outings against them.
The £140k-per-week ace is selfless, robust and a multi-dimensional force within the spherical frontline of Liverpool’s attack.
His return, if it comes tonight, could give the Reds’ forward line a much-needed fresh impetus and might just be the catalyst for positive change at Anfield.