The ECHO’s end-of-season evaluations continue with an assessment of Diogo Jota’s campaign, as the No.20 registers 15 goals amid an injury-hit period.
The 2023/24 season accomplished little but confirm what was previously widely known about Diogo Jota at Liverpool.
On the one hand, the Portugal international spent another season solidifying his name as one of the squad’s finest goal scorers, receiving plaudits as the club’s best finisher along the way as he scored 15 goals across all competitions.
On the other hand, this was Jota’s second consecutive campaign in which he spent significant time on the sidelines, injured and unable to contribute to Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Former Wolves striker Jota made only 21 Premier League appearances in Klopp’s final season after spending about six months on the sidelines in 22/23. That figure reflects Liverpool’s overall depth in the front line, but it also highlights the No.20’s lack of availability.
How different would Liverpool’s title chances have been if Jota had been available more? It was disappointing not to be able to pitch him in home draws against Manchester United and Arsenal just before Christmas. The Seleccao international kicked off his recovery with a goal in a 2-0 win over Burnley on Boxing Day, and a period of fitness coincided with a hot streak in front of goal, scoring six times between December 26 and February 10.
End-of-season ratings:
Alisson Becker
Trent Alexander–Arnold
Ibrahima Konate
Luis Diaz
Cody Gakpo
Darwin Nunez
Harvey Elliott
Virgil Van Dijk
Jamie Carragher gushed: “I think of some of the strikers I’ve played alongside: Michael Owen, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Robbie Fowler.” I believe he (Jota) is the best finisher.
Jota was third in the Premier League’s best-minutes-per-goal-involvement ratio at the time, with 84 minutes, trailing only Mohamed Salah (79) and Erling Haaland (72). With Salah going for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, Jota stepped up magnificently alongside Darwin Nunez, who had his greatest run of the season around the turn of the year.
“We have world-class players, and when we have them, it’s easier,” Jota said after he and Nunez each scored twice to defeat Bournemouth. “But we’re Liverpool, so even without them, we have a good team. We can replace them and split the game expense amongst us to keep going.”
A possibly season-ending knee injury suffered at Brentford in mid-February dashed his ambitions of appearing in a Carabao Cup final and kept him out of action for nearly two months. At the time, the diagnosis was a relief for someone who had missed the 2022 World Cup due to a catastrophic calf injury, but the setback was extremely disruptive for a Liverpool team that had struggled in his absence since April. He was unable to make an impression after two outings as a rusty replacement in defeats at home to Atalanta and Crystal Palace, during which Liverpool’s season disintegrated.
A goal against Fulham in a return to winning ways around the end of April demonstrated what Klopp had been missing, but another hiccup at Craven Cottage saw him play the final of his 1711 minutes. Once again, it was a matter of what could have been had he stayed fit. That certainly must be the next task.
End-of-season rating: 7.
