Liverpool must drop Jota to unleash “unstoppable” gem

Liverpool are purring under Arne Slot, who has inherited a top-class team and all that but is instilling his vision with expertly worked dispatch.

Against Ipswich Town, the newly-blooded style demonstrated its adaptability; against Brentford, at Anfield, Slot’s controlled approach was discernible; against Manchester United, Old Trafford was squashed and the Reds started to look like a genuine force.

Nottingham Forest are up next, headed to Merseyside as they look to preserve their unbeaten record to start the campaign – a win and two draws – they will face one of their toughest tests against Slot’s Liverpool, who are hungry to extend their perfect start.

Liverpool team news

Harvey Elliott will play no part in the coming run of fixtures after fracturing his foot with England U21s this week. The 21-year-old has scarcely featured yet this term but was expected to step up with the fixtures coming thick and fast.

That aside, positivity. Alexis Mac Allister completed a full session of training on Thursday and is in contention after a fitness concern with Argentina last week. Moreover, Curtis Jones has made his recovery and will be hoping to start.

Federico Chiesa could be involved for the first time after signing from Juventus in a deal worth £12.5m last month, but he may not be thrown right into the starting mix. Despite his probable start on the bench, Slot might want to consider dropping Diogo Jota for the first time this season.

Why Liverpool should drop Diogo Jota

Jota has started all three of Liverpool’s opening matches under Slot and has scored one goal and claimed one assist. He played a crucial role against Man United before the break, working tirelessly and prodding the backline to allow the likes of Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah to capitalise, but it wasn’t his finest showing by any stretch.

Jota failed to complete each of his five attempted dribbles against the Red Devils while also losing all ten of his contested duels. It was a display that underscored the depth of Liverpool’s attacking talent, and that the Portuguese is not immovable at number nine.

And anyway, his injury record leaves plenty to be desired. Jota must be handled deftly, especially when considering the forthcoming sprint of fixtures, as they do not want to overwork him and end up without the forward for a period of time due to injury.

Cody Gakpo will hope for his first starting berth of the season, but it is Darwin Nunez who should get the nod this time. The dynamic striker has a good record against today’s opponents and has the skills to succeed at the front of Slot’s system.

Slot must unleash Darwin Nunez

Nunez scored 18 goals and claimed 13 assists across all competitions last year, though he continued to ebb and flow from the expected fluency, with his inconsistent performances in the final third.

He’s got a myriad of weapons to hurt opponents but comes up short too often. He’s wasteful and erratic. He’s also brilliant, heralded as Liverpool’s “agent of chaos” by many – as relayed by journalist Theo Squires.

Nunez’s lack of growth across his two campaigns in the Premier League marks the crux of the problem, for he has yet to lift his underlying numbers and is still just as profligate, if not more so. He missed 27 big chances last year despite only scoring 11 times, which simply isn’t good enough.

However, the electric Nunez scored home and away against the Tricky Trees last year and will be confident that a starting berth could extend that hot streak, especially after the manner of his contribution in the City Ground fixture earlier in 2024.

He’s only featured off the bench this year but Nunez could hit the ground running in this new tactical system by simply latching onto the imperious form of his side’s talisman Salah. The 32-year-old has already scored three goals and added three assists across three games for the Reds, and you wouldn’t bet against him making his mark today.

If Nunez does fail to score, should he start, he might also find his playmaking skills tuned to the Egyptian’s frequency, with ten of his 17 assists for the Merseysiders placed at Salah’s feet. This level of interchangeability could be crucial, keeping Liverpool’s adversaries guessing.

Some of this is down to Salah’s brilliance, of course, but Nunez is a tireless forward with sharp movements and intelligent awareness. His inability to hit the mark with consistency does not nullify the expansive scope of his skillet.

Indeed, as per FBref, Nunez ranks among the top 10% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive carries, and the top 21% for tackles per 90.

That final metric is particularly interesting, highlighting a tenacious and willing approach to his defensive game, always eager to help out. Slot has a vibrant and broad range of attacking talent at his disposal, but the Uruguayan is arguably the most distinctive of players and will be hungry to showcase his unique talent.

Liverpool will be expected to defeat Forest on home soil today, but Espirito Santo’s side have shown strength of character and tactical understanding across the opening weeks, and they will not roll over for the hosts.

Forest have taken the most amount of shots in the Premier League this season with 53 – Liverpool are joint-second, with 48 – with their 21 shots on target also the most in the division. This is an early alarm bell for the Anfield side but suggests that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are apt to surge forward, and thus are susceptible on the counter. Nunez territory, that.

Slot would be wise to make a tweak or two, and with Jota’s injury record and recent showing in the Premier League, it’s surely the time to unleash Nunez, who was once labelled an “unstoppable” force when at his best by Jurgen Klopp, and get a taste of his style under new management.

The Uruguay international should be unleashed ahead of Jota through the middle of the pitch, with Salah and Diaz flanking him on either side.