Liverpool have the sweet smell of victory in their nose, having closed the first chapter of the 2024/25 campaign with a perfect Premier League record under new boss Arne Slot, the latest of which was a 3-0 win over arch-rivals Manchester United.

Yes, yes, Slot inherited a first-class squad from Jurgen Klopp, but the seamless switch to a more controlled and cultured style of football has been something to behold. Liverpool 2.0 is truly here, and the world is taking note.

There was plenty of noise around the Anfield side's lack of transfer activity this summer, only signing Federico Chiesa from Juventus for an initial £10m fee to complete a fearsome frontline, but Liverpool look a real unit, boasting first-class quality of different shapes and sizes across the park.

There are six established options for the three attacking spots in the starting line-up, but so far, Slot has yet to make any changes. Diogo Jota has enjoyed a goal and an assist across the three victories, but he wasn't at his best at Old Trafford and might be the first to relinquish his spot.

Diogo Jota's performance vs Man Utd

Jota is one of Liverpool's best goalscorers, one of their most reliable ball-strikers, but he isn't undroppable, and his display at the Theatre of Dreams underscored that strength in depth and ability to rotate such a talent out.

As you can see above, it was not the Portuguese's most efficient evening, failing with all five of his attempted dribbles and losing each of his ten ground duels. What's more, the "deadly" forward, as he has been described by analyst Raj Chohan, took fewer touches than his goalkeeper, with Alisson taking 42.

The 27-year-old was actually handed a 7/10 match rating by The Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle, who acknowledged that he 'did a lot of running and chasing down to little personal reward, although vital for the team.'

Statistics often paint a colourless picture in a footballing landscape, and Jota was indeed an engine of sorts, causing all sorts of problems and keeping the hosts guessing, allowing Ryan Gravenberch to thrust forward into space and allowing the likes of Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz to wreak mayhem down the wings.

But the Portugal international shouldn't start at no. 9 across each of the 38 Premier League matchweeks, even if he does maintain a high level of fitness. Cody Gakpo, for one, is desperate to earn his first shot from the outset under Slot's leadership.

Why Cody Gakpo deserves to start

Of course, if Jota could have his way, he would start every week, for any footballer worth their salt targets a starring role above all of their peers.

But it's not up to him, and a poor injury record across almost every campaign as a Redman will see his workload tempered. Slot, moreover, demonstrated on his debut against Ipswich Town a ruthless streak, hooking Jarell Quansah at half-time – with Champions League and Carabao Cup commitments on the horizon, it's time for some rotation.

Gakpo, Slot's Dutch countryman, returned to Merseyside off the back of some excellent form at Euro 2024, scoring three goals and claiming an assist over five matches and was hailed as "maybe the most important player" for Oranje by his manager, Ronald Koeman. Lest we forget, this is a team containing the steel and security of Virgil van Dijk.

Hailed for his "special skill set" by Klopp's former assistant manager Pep Lijnders, Gakpo will be desperate to earn a role of significance this season, though he has been consigned to three cameos totalling 53 minutes across the opening fixtures of the campaign.

A sharpshooter and a dynamic presence, Gakpo was ostensibly purchased in January 2023 to replace Roberto Firmino, who concluded his iconic Liverpool career that coming summer.

As per FBref, the Netherlands star ranks among the top 6% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 11% for successful take-ons per 90, so it's clear to see his skillset aligns – to a degree – with that of the silky-smooth Brazilian.

From a more simplistic outlook, you can see that Gakpo has actually produced a promising level of prolificness across his opening seasons at the club, scoring 23 goals and claiming nine assists across just 43 starting roles.

However, Gakpo's not the only one hoping to earn their first start. Indeed, the mercurial Darwin Nunez has only made two fleeting appearances so far, totalling little over half an hour of action.

Why Darwin Nunez deserves to start

Liverpool signed Nunez from SL Benfica in 2022 for a £64m initial figure that could rise to a club-record £85m fee. Football supporters in general are divided on the Uruguayan's quality, but Liverpool fans hold a deep adoration for their maniacal talisman.

Last season, he scored 18 goals and added 13 assists across all competitions, despite only starting 33 matches. Nunez clearly has a superabundance of quality, and he could be perfect for Slot.

Take Jota's role at Old Trafford, for example. The marksman was clearly tasked with working hard to frustrate the hosts and keep them on their toes, allowing his peers to overlap and exploit wide areas, ergo creating an overload and wrench spaces in danger areas, evidenced perfectly by Diaz's opening goal.

Nunez can perform that role. He's fleet-footed and tireless, carrying an electric kind of energy that could be perfect. Moreover, he's been lauded by journalist Theo Squires as an “agent of chaos”, such is his knack to stir up mayhem.

Matches played

29 (19)

36 (22)

Goals

9

11

Assists

3

8

Big chances missed

20

27

Pass completion

67%

72%

Big chances created

11

11

Key passes*

1.0

0.9

Dribbles*

0.6 (49%)

0.4 (43%)

Duels won*

2.8 (38%)

2.4 (38%)

As you can see above, Nunez failed to make any significant gains in the Premier League last season, despite his impressive tally across all competitions. Now though, aged 25, he is surely ready to take the division by storm, perhaps finding the scope of his skillset unlocked by a managerial change.

Therefore, Liverpool should drop Jota for the upcoming fixture against Nottingham Forest at Anfield. The Portuguese is a spectacular player but he's not the only sharp tool in Slot's kit, and Nunez and Gakpo are both ravenous to make their mark at this exciting start to the new era.

Forget Salah: Liverpool have a new hero in 9/10 star who "destroyed" United

Gary Neville had to praise this talent after Liverpool’s Old Trafford victory.

ByAngus Sinclair