Diogo Jota vs Darwin Nunez starting call made ahead of Liverpool vs Chelsea clash
Jota scored Liverpool's winner in their last game prior to the international break when they secured a 1-0 success at Crystal Palace, a result which saw them spend the hiatus on top of the table
by Mark Jones · The MirrorFormer Liverpool forward Emile Heskey has urged Arne Slot to continue picking Diogo Jota as his centre-forward as the Reds welcome Chelsea on Sunday.
Jota scored Liverpool's winner in their last game prior to the international break when they secured a 1-0 success at Crystal Palace, a result which saw them spend the hiatus on top of the table.
Jota had come in for some criticism before the trip to Selhurst Park having failed to score a Premier League goal since the opening day win at Ipswich, but ex-Reds star Heskey still feels the Portuguese is the best bet against the Blues.
"I would probably pick Jota over Darwin Nunez. Jota just about edges it for me at this moment in time," said Heskey, who scored 60 goals for Liverpool, the same amount as Jota is currently on.
"The only thing that worries me about Jota is his fitness. Can he give Liverpool a full season? There are questions about his durability because his injury record isn’t great. When it comes to scoring goals, Jota is a player that you expect to find the back of the net."
Slot has tended to prefer Jota to Nunez during his short Liverpool reign this far, with the Uruguayan only starting one Premier League match this season - scoring in the 3-0 win over Bournemouth - and struggling in his most recent appearance in the win over Bologna.
Nunez failed to get off the bench in the win at Crystal Palace, and Heskey feels he still has a lot to do to prove himself in front of goal for the Reds.
"Nunez is a different type of player [to Jota]," he said. "He adds a certain amount of chaos, and sometimes you need that, and you need his attributes to create havoc.
"He is a player that can give defenders nightmares because of his work rate. He’s relentless.
"The one thing that you would say about Nunez is, is he a deadly finisher? If you want to be considered a truly elite forward, then I think you need to put away some of the chances that Darwin misses. He misses chances that Jota takes and that is why I think a lot of people prefer Jota in Liverpool’s team."
Emile Heskey was speaking via 10bet
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