As Luis Diaz struggles as Liverpool’s number nine, will doubts around Cody Gakpo’s fitness allow Diogo Jota another chance to lead the line?
TODAY represents romance and love.
This week has represented rage and emotions bubbling over.
How this works over the course of a Premier League season means you can’t always wear a smile and a 2-1 win.
There has to be toil. There has to be lessons.
Arne Slot faced the media this morning slightly dishevelled and tired. His answers were repetitive and at times he seemed irked. He also spoke softly and reflectively. About doing things different.
Liverpool are quietly winless this week heading into Wolves at the weekend. Arsenal are away to a feeble Leicester City. There will be a sense of pressure applying itself to proceedings.
There has to be toil.
Seven points clear is a buffer and a safety net. It isn’t the minimum required to win a league title. You can find a path to glory via goal difference if needed. You know all this.
It’s a tough month. Points being expendable is normal, not that we want to expend. It brings shame. It invokes a Kevin Keegan-like sense of panic. Of everyone pointing and laughing.
Liverpool may take maximum points from the remainder of this daunting February schedule. We should all be looking forward to Wembley and backpocketing Wednesday April 2.
Forward selections will be intriguing. On Review, we’ve recently pondered whether Luis Diaz has been played out of form. There has been no goal or assist from the Colombian since the win at West Ham on December 29.
Slot has preferred Diaz as a sacrificial number nine this season. Asking him to drop deep with his attacking midfielder to allow the wider forwards to get in behind.
He had previously spoken about the fruits of being a winger in Slot’s system until suddenly he wasn’t. The central role has borne fruit. The hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield it’s high.
A large part of Diaz’s situation belongs to Cody Gakpo.
The Dutch winger’s form and Modus Operandi of cutting in from the left and adding goals and dynamism to Liverpool’s attack has been impossible to ignore.
Yet given he’s an injury doubt for Wolves, and with the type of games on the horizon, there will be more of a decision to make on the left.
Gakpo doesn’t have a great record away from home, especially against bigger sides. Of his 16 goals this season, four have come away from home. Two in an early Carabao Cup game against Brighton, the aforementioned West Ham league fixture and a penalty in Eindhoven.
Of course, Gakpo’s overall form has been tremendous and riding a player in form and confidence, regardless of where you’re playing, makes sense. But without knowing the extent of his injury issues, Sunday should offer Diaz a chance in his more regular position.
That leaves a conversation of who can fill the number nine void. Many including myself thought Darwin Nunez might start at Everton. His recent fatherhood seems to have impacted plans to use him.
Nunez has shown increasing worth from a defensive viewpoint this season. He’s registering 28.11 pressures and 5.03 pressure regains per 90 minutes in the league. This ranks as the very highest percentile on average.
We’ve also seen how he can help with defensive set pieces against Tottenham recently.
The returning Diogo Jota also won’t shirk. Jota has been mostly unavailable since the Chelsea home fixture in October, but was Slot’s first choice nine for the early stages of the season.
Jota can offer a similar output of pressures and regains (28.80/4.74 per 90). The notable difference being Jota is much more involved in attacking actions.
To date this league season, Jota averages 3.12 shots per game with an xG of 0.52 value. By comparison, Nunez averages 2.33 shots with an xG of 0.27. Diaz averages 2.56 shots with an xG of 0.34.
We’ve seen how sacrificial Liverpool’s number nine shift has been. We’ve also seen it work without Diaz or Gakpo getting the headlines. Bournemouth away being a recent example of their contribution without goals.
That said, Liverpool should be looking to diversify their attacking options and ensure that the load is eased off Mohamed Salah as much as possible.
With Nunez a continuous question mark, it might be the perfect time to return to a period with Jota as the leading man.
If there’s one thing you can usually guarantee, it’s that he won’t be shy in front of goal.
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