Six minutes and 26 seconds.

That’s all it took for Diogo Jota to show Liverpool what they had been missing.

It all seemed innocuous enough when, back in October, the Reds striker was fallen upon in the process of being fouled by clumsy Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo.



But, save a few minutes of action before trotting off, that was the last Liverpool had seen of the Portugal international before this visit of Fulham.

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Given Arne Slot’s side went on to beat Chelsea and then win nine of the 11 games from which Jota was absent, it wasn’t that the forward was missed in terms of results.

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However, with concerns growing about the effectiveness of Darwin Nunez and the relentless schedule leaving the attack crying out for rotation, the return of Jota here was timely even if, with Nunez benched, it was Luis Diaz who led the line as a false nine.

And even then, with Liverpool - down to 10 men after only 17 minutes due to Andy Robertson’s red card - needing a fresh injection in the attack, it was to Nunez whom Slot first turned.

But within moments of the Reds going behind for a second time with 14 minutes remaining, the call finally came for Jota, a decision that was swiftly justified when, having been fed by fellow substitute Nunez, he cut inside Fulham defender Jorge Cuenca and finished in front of the Kop.

There could have been more, Jota then having one shot deflected over after an almighty scramble and terrifying the Fulham defence with his willingness to directly run at opponents.

It’s now five goals in 11 appearances this season for Jota, whose happy knack for important strikes clearly extends beyond his trademark game-breaking trait of scoring the opener.

In truth, it was no less than Liverpool deserved for the manner in which they overcame the shock of first going behind and then Robertson’s red card.

While the result was unexpected, the performance, particularly in the second half, was that of a team with the character and quality – helped by some brave tactical decisions by Slot – to challenge for the Premier League title

If there were any lingering doubts, they have surely now been banished.

Given the circumstances, this cannot be regarded as anything other than a point gained for Liverpool that could prove so crucial in the final analysis

And in Jota, the Reds have their most devastating finisher back firing.


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