Slot must boldly drop Liverpool’s “special” talent

Liverpool meet West Ham United at the London Stadium this evening as Arne Slot looks to claim another victory in the Premier League. First-placed and flying, the Reds have been rampant this season.

However, West Ham have a point to prove after a disappointing start to life under Julen Lopetegui but have hit a degree of good form in recent weeks, unbeaten across their past four top-flight fixtures (two wins, two draws).

While Liverpool have won ten of their past 12 matches against the Hammers in all competitions, they drew at the London Stadium last term in a heated contest that saw tempers flare between Mohamed Salah and outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp.

Slot will demand cooler heads, but the harmony woven together within this Reds team is sure to remain intact and puts the visitors in a great position to continue their incredible title-chasing campaign.

Liverpool team news

Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley won’t be risked in east London, but both are in contention to return against Manchester United next weekend. The defenders have been sidelined since the beginning of December.

In midfield, Slot won’t be able to call upon the tireless energy of Dominik Szoboszlai, for the Hungarian has been suspended for one match after picking up his fifth yellow card of the year during the Boxing Day victory over Leicester City.

Up front, Liverpool might be tempted to unleash an unchanged line, but given the task at hand, Slot might be tempted to drop two members.

Slot must boldly drop Cody Gakpo

Salah, of course, will retain his starting spot on the right wing, looking to continue his staggering form this season, notching 19 goals and 15 assists across 25 appearances.

However, Darwin Nunez failed to take command at number nine on Boxing Day despite plenty of huff and puff. He brought energy and impetus, but Liverpool need Diogo Jota for this one.

Jota has been reduced to off-the-bench roles since returning from injury this month, with Liverpool’s coaches wary of his fitness record.

He should be fit enough for a starting role now though. With nine victories from ten matches against West Ham, the Portugal forward could be the difference-maker, bringing a clinical edge that Nunez simply doesn’t possess. As per FBref, Jota actually ranks among the top 15% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90.

If Jota is to start up top, Liverpool’s Dutch coach might want to boldly drop the in-form Cody Gakpo too. The 25-year-old has scored four goals across his past seven Premier League starts but Luis Diaz might be preferable to ensure Jota’s chances of scoring are maximised.

Once hailed for his “special skillset” by Pep Lijnders, Gakpo has been a revelation this season, taking the positives from his season-and-a-half under Klopp’s wing and playing almost exclusively on the left flank this year, something that has sharpened his goalscoring edge and then some.

Of course, he could thrive alongside Jota at the London Stadium, but Liverpool could do with Diaz’s electricity and multi-faceted threat.

The Colombian’s hardly a non-existent goal threat himself, bagging seven goals from 11 league fixtures this season.

Such exciting depth is a reflection of Liverpool’s devastating frontline, as deadly as it is deep. Slot’s success has been in large part down to Diaz and Gakpo being able to rotate and attack problems with their own distinct formula.

Whatever Slot picks, Liverpool will feel they have what it takes to complete the job, but Diaz might be the better man for the job today.

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