Jota confident of thriving in central role under Slot

Diogo Jota is confident of flourishing as a central striker under new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot after his impressive opening day display against Ipswich Town.

Jota netted the opening goal of Liverpool’s first 2024-25 Premier League encounter on Saturday, finding the far corner in the 60th minute after he was picked out by Mohamed Salah.

Salah subsequently marked his 350th Liverpool appearance with his 300th goal involvement (212 goals and 88 assists) five minutes later to secure the win at Portman Road.

Jota has now been involved in 10 goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, scoring seven and assisting three.

The Portugal international contributed an expected goals (xG) of 0.95 to the Reds’ 2.65 total against Kieran McKenna’s side, the highest of any player from either team

He also recorded 11 touches in the opposition box, the joint-most in the Liverpool squad alongside Luis Diaz and Salah, while also winning six of his 13 contested duels.

Slot spoke of his belief that Jota’s best position is in the centre of the attack, with the 27-year-old agreeing with his new boss.

“It’s obviously a bit different from [Jurgen] Klopp where I maybe was useful out wide,” Jota told Liverpool’s official website.

“I think here he [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.”

Liverpool struggled in the first 45 minutes against Ipswich, managing just three shots on Christian Walton’s goal, none of which were on target.

But a much-improved display after the interval saw the Reds muster 15 shots, five of which were on target with 12 coming from inside the penalty area.

And with Brentford up next in the Reds’ first home game of the new season, Jota said their second-half showing has given the team a solid foundation to build on.

“Yeah, a positive performance. Obviously, the first half was a bit harder, they were really on it [and] pressing almost man-v-man,” Jota said.

“The fans were there and we knew it was going to be a difficult first half because they would give it all – [it is] a long time since they have been in the Premier League.

“And then the second half they started giving us a little bit more space, which was enough for us to start building and start creating those spaces in behind.

“We created a lot of chances and we ended up scoring two, so in the end I think it’s a deserved three points.”

Love it, Diogo pic.twitter.com/qU4T6rz9YP

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 18, 2024