Liverpool headed to Villa Park on Wednesday with the chance to go 10 points clear in the Premier League title race.
The Reds have a big week coming up, with games against Aston Villa, Man City and Newcastle United all to come.
The trip to Villa had been rearranged due to Liverpool’s participation in the Carabao Cup final when the game was originally due to be scheduled.
As a result, the Liverpool fixture list is incredibly packed during February, with the Villa Park clash one of the most difficult for the Reds.
It proved to be that way, with Liverpool letting a good start – and a goal lead – give way to Villa turning the game around.
Just before they got the go ahead goal, though, and just after the home side equalised, Diogo Jota had a golden opportunity to put the Reds back into the lead. After seeing him squander it, Robbie Fowler was not impressed.
Diogo Jota misses huge chance
Jota started relatively well against Aston Villa. Having been gifted the ball in the penalty area, the Liverpool No.20 did well to square for Mohamed Salah to score.
But Jota was to blame for missing a great chance against Wolves on Sunday, and his miss on Wednesday was arguably worse.
Having been put through one-on-one with Emi Martinez, the Portuguese looked primed to give Liverpool the lead.
But, inexplicably, Jota lifted his shot miles high and wide of the goal. It was a horrendous attempt and was punished not long after, with Ollie Watkins putting Villa in front.
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Asked about the miss on punditry duty for TNT Sports at half-time, Fowler claimed that Jota had to do better.
“It’s a great chance, he’s got to do better,” said the Liverpool legend. “We’re stating the obvious here but he was one on one with the keeper. He tried to wrap his foot around it, you can see what he was trying to do but it becomes a bad miss.”
Jota can have no excuses
Had this been Fowler running through against Martinez, there is no way he would not have buried it.
In reality, it was a chance that Jota himself usually gobbles up, too. The 28-year-old is regularly cited as being Liverpool’s best goal scorer.
However, that was not in evidence against Wolves, and it was woefully missing at Villa.
It wasn’t just this chance that went begging either. The Portugal international missed a decent headed opportunity in each half as well.
In a game of such fine margins at the sharp end of a Premier League title race, there can be no excuse for missing such chances.
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