"I could have scored that" - Jamie Carragher stunned by Liverpool's star's miss in Newcastle United win
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes he could have finished a chance that Diogo Jota missed during the team's win over Newcastle United on Saturday, February 18.
The Reds secured their second win in a row in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory at St. James' Park. Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo scored in the opening 17 minutes the Magpies were reduced to 10 men in the 22nd minute. Nick Pope was sent off after handling the ball outside the area.
A beautiful Reds move, finished off by Cody Gakpo 😍 https://t.co/hT349DKLEy
Jota, meanwhile, came on as a 59th-minute substitute to replace Gakpo but had a night to forget. He won just two of his seven duels, lost possession four times, and missed two big chances.
One particular chance came in the 88th minute when Jota had a free header but failed to score. Speaking about the miss, former Liverpool defender Carragher told Sky Sports:
“That is one of those where I can say, ‘I could have scored that.’’’
Regardless of his lack of match sharpness, the Reds will likely be happy to have Jota back after a long-term injury. The Portuguese forward missed a major chunk of the season due to a calf injury and returned to action in their 2-0 win over Everton on February 13.
Since joining Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020, Jota has scored 34 goals and provided 14 assists in 95 games. Saturday's game was only his 10th appearance across all competitions in the ongoing season.
Jurgen Klopp hails 'massive' win for Liverpool
With the win over Newcastle, the Merseysiders are now just six points behind fourth place in the Premier League table with a game in hand.
Liverpool end Newcastle’s 17-match unbeaten run 💪
#NEWLIV https://t.co/FMbOSsuJfR
Speaking after the game, manager Jurgen Klopp stressed the importance of the win and said (via Liverpoolfc.com):
"Massive. Massive, massive, massive. I don’t think we are in a position now where we can have a big mouth and say, 'We are here and go again.' It is obvious we are in a better place than we were a couple of weeks ago but there's still space for improvement and we have to show consistency..."
He added:
"When you are in the position we are in, there is no alternative to consistency to get out of it. And result-wise that was definitely good for consistency. And performance-wise, there was a lot of good stuff and areas we could improve."
Liverpool will next host Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash on February 21.