Liverpool have been gearing up for their pre-season friendly against Arsenal on Wednesday night with some training sessions at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, which’ll host the fixture between the two Premier League sides.
Journalist Paul Gorst was at the venue on Sunday to watch Arne Slot and his coaching staff put the players through their paces, and he compiled a few observations in a piece for the Liverpool Echo.
One of those centred around Diogo Jota, who had just linked up with the Reds’ squad following his involvement with Portugal at Euro 2024, and the writer was impressed with that he saw from the 27-year-old.
He wrote: “Diogo Jota also featured in what was his first session since returning to club duties after involvement for Portugal at the European Championship. The former Wolves man looked typically clinical in front of goal, dispatching a number of drills with aplomb.”
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In his four years at Liverpool so far, Jota has become renowned for having a clinical edge in the final third, perhaps more so than any of our other attackers except Mo Salah, and he seems to have lost none of that sharpness over the summer.
It’s something that Mikel Arteta knows better than almost anyone. The Portuguese forward has faced Arsenal 11 times since joining the Reds, with the Spaniard in charge of the Gunners for each of those games, and scored seven goals against the north Londoners (Transfermarkt).
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It’s a track record which suggests that Wednesday’s fixture in Philadelphia is the perfect one for the 27-year-old to return to action for LFC, and he’ll have a point to prove not only to his new head coach Slot but also to national team boss Roberto Martinez.
Despite reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, Portugal didn’t actually score in the final three games at the tournament (excluding penalty shootouts). Out the 330 minutes that those matches lasted, Jota was only on the pitch for 72 (WhoScored).
That seems utterly baffling considering the team’s obvious troubles in finding the net and the Liverpool star’s well-known penchant for conjuring a match-winning moment.
Arsenal beware – Diogo will be chomping at the bit to send a message to his club and international bosses, and one of his favourite opponents are up next!
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