Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has encouraged Arne Slot to keep Diogo Jota as his center-forward as Liverpool prepares to face Chelsea on Sunday.
Jota scored the only goal in Liverpool’s last match before the international break, a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, which allowed them to top the league during the hiatus.
Despite facing some criticism for not scoring a Premier League goal since the opening day against Ipswich, Heskey believes Jota is the better choice against Chelsea.
“I would likely choose Jota over Darwin Nunez right now. He just edges it for me,” Heskey, who scored 60 goals for Liverpool—matching Jota’s current tally—said. “My only concern with Jota is his fitness. Can he last the entire season? His injury history raises questions. But when it comes to scoring, Jota is someone you expect to find the net.”
So far, Slot has preferred Jota over Nunez, with the Uruguayan starting just one Premier League match this season, where he scored against Bournemouth, but struggled in his latest outing against Bologna.
Nunez did not play in the win against Crystal Palace, and Heskey believes he still needs to prove himself as a goal scorer for the team.
“Nunez is a different kind of player than Jota,” he noted. “He brings a certain chaos that can be useful, as his attributes can create problems for defenders.”
“He has a relentless work ethic that keeps defenders on their toes. However, one question remains: is he a clinical finisher? To be considered an elite forward, he needs to convert more of the chances he misses—opportunities that Jota typically capitalizes on. That’s why many prefer Jota in Liverpool’s lineup.”
