Jamie Carragher claims that Liverpool had a significant opportunity to defeat Manchester United last Sunday if a certain player had been included in the starting lineup at Old Trafford.
Liverpool’s disappointment is palpable as they reflect on their failure to clinch a victory against Erik ten Hag’s side. Despite unleashing 28 shots on goal and commanding the first half, they fell short of securing the coveted three points.
The Reds paid the price for their inability to capitalise on numerous scoring opportunities, with Darwin Núñez notably guilty of squandering several promising chances to seal the game’s outcome.
In a last-ditch effort, Mohamed Salah’s late penalty salvaged one point for Jurgen Klopp’s squad. However, this was insufficient to propel Liverpool back to the summit of the Premier League standings, leaving them ruing the missed opportunity.
Jamie Carragher Thinks Liverpool May Have Won with One Player Starting
Certainly! Liverpool still await the return of several players from injury, notably Diogo Jota, who hasn’t played since their victory against Brentford in February.
Jurgen Klopp hinted that Jota is nearing a return to training. However, Jamie Carragher, speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, believes that Jota’s presence could have greatly influenced last Sunday’s match.
“I think the one player Liverpool have missed here today is Jota. They need him back badly because Liverpool score a lot of goals, but they also miss the most chances in the league,” he said.
“I think they’ve hit the woodwork more than any other team in the league. So when you think of the finishers they’ve got, Salah gets the goals, but the others are a bit scruffy.
“They get goals. But are they clinical enough? And I just think of some of the situations Nunez had today, and I think if Diogo Jota is on the pitch for Liverpool today, I think there’s a great chance they are coming away with three points.”
According to data from FBRef, Liverpool boast two players positioned within the Premier League’s top 10 for underperforming against their expected goals tally. Sitting at third is Darwin Núñez, while Luis Diaz holds the tenth spot.
Conversely, the team also flaunts a player within the top four for exceeding expectations. This player is none other than Diogo Jota.
Having amassed nine league goals this season, with five of them occurring between Boxing Day and his latest top-flight appearance, £40 million man’s return to the starting lineup would be significant for Liverpool.
It’s evident that there’s a pressing need for Jota’s presence, a sentiment echoed by Carragher.
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