Jota: It has been a personally difficult season for me

Diogo Jota has spoken openly about his frustrating season to date where he struggled to get any momentum going due to injury setbacks. The 28 year-old has dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his five year stint missing 97 games through various ailments.

That large number of missed games has been a real blow to both Jurgen Klopp and now Arne Slot as when fit, the Portuguese forward has proven himself to be man for the big moment, seemingly always there when the Reds need a crucial goal to be scored or play a part in setting one up.

A case in point came in January when the heat of the title race was well and truly on and Liverpool were facing a true test against a red-hot Nottingham Forest side. It only took Jota 22 seconds to come off the bench and score the equaliser which denied the home team a seventh straight league win while earning the Reds a precious away point. It was also at the City Ground where he scored the winner in 2022 which kept Liverpool’s ultimately successful quest for FA Cup glory on track.

There have been many more examples of Jota being a key figure in Liverpool success during his 172 appearances for the club scoring 64 goals in the process.

But speaking ahead of the second leg of Liverpool’s Round of 16 Champions League tie against PSG this evening, Jota said on a personal front he has not been at his best but there is time to rectify that as the Echo reported.

“It's been a difficult season for me personally, I had a few complications throughout the season.

“Obviously these last few months are the ones that matter the most, where you decide things. I don't feel I am at my best at the moment. But certainly by playing I will get there.

“And I always try to do my best no matter what. You never know [how long it takes]. It’s football, I don't play alone.

“It is not an individual sport so there are a lot of things you can't control yourself, but one thing you can control is to give your best and that’s always what I do on the pitch.”

The forward continued his revealing self-analysis saying that while he has not felt anywhere near to his top level, it is the little contributions that aren’t always seen on a stats sheet that he is focusing on at this point of time.

“I don’t know (when I was last at my best). Obviously sometimes you can have bad games.

“Sometimes you can also have good games when that form is a certain amount of games. I think as long as you keep being useful to the team, that is most important.

“Not only the stats, but the way you can connect to your team-mates and the way you can help the team defensively and how you can help the team get the win.”

“That’s what I try to do every time I am on the pitch. As a striker, I want to get involved in scoring goals and creating those opportunities. Every game is a new opportunity to do that.”

Tonight will be another opportunity to break his scoring drought in the Champions League, you have to go all the way back to the third of November 2021 for his last goal which came in the Group stage against Atletico Madrid. In all he has scored five goals for the club in this competition.

“Four years (since I scored?) Wow. I think stats are also a part of today's game especially. But they don't say everything.

“I want to score, obviously, but it is not a factor that will impact my game at all tomorrow. If I don't score and we go through, I don't mind. Keep adding a few more days into it!

‘It is a big week, it’s a big week. We knew that before,” he said. “The Southampton game was massive because it is the only game we play this month in the Premier League so we did our job there.

“And now two more games this week in two different competitions. I think two are decisive but one has a trophy on the line already.

“At the weekend we want to win the trophy, but it’s one game at a time.”