Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised the impact of Diogo Jota against Nottingham Forest in the 1-1 Premier League draw. Jota scored the equaliser for Liverpool right after coming on as a substitute for Ibrahima Konate in the second half.
The Reds conceded an early goal during the game despite having immense dominance in possession against the defensively strong hosts. Liverpool players took many wayward shots during the first half and the trend continued during the second half as well.
Slot brought Kostas Tsimikas, alongside Jota, who provided the assist from the corner kick with the Portuguese hitting the header. Liverpool failed to capitalize on their equaliser with many near-misses, particularly from the 28-year-old Portuguese and legendary forward Mohamed Salah.
Speaking in the post-match press conference (via Liverpoolfc.com), Slot praised the impact of Jota for Liverpool against Nottingham last night. He said:
“Yes, he made a big impact already before when he came in against Fulham but then after that game he had a bit of a setback and then the games he came in afterwards I also felt he needed a bit more time to get into his rhythm. That’s not only with him, I see that with other players as well that were out for a few weeks or a few months, it is difficult to get this intensity going in these Premier League games immediately. And it was very pleasing to see that today he might even have been better than against Fulham when he came in. He had a big impact, he was the one, apart from Mo [Salah], that had a few chances to score our second goal.”
Liverpool have slightly stumbled in their title chase recently with some draws in their last few Premier League games. Furthermore, they have not enjoyed a good start to 2025 despite showcasing dominance worth winning the games.
The Reds dropped two points against Fulham and Manchester United before which hurt them more than the Nottingham draw. Forest have displayed incredible form and defensive formidability that has allowed them to reach second place in the Premier League.
Jota returned against Fulham and helped the team secure a hard-fought draw in that Premier League game. The 28-year-old has struggled with nagging injuries throughout his tenure at the Merseyside club, hampering his reliability as a forward.
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However, Liverpool fans would hope that the Portuguese international will remain fit to boost the team’s title chances. Jota has scored eight goals and provided two assists from 19 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool so far this season.
