“Liverpool Fans Outraged with Duo Arne Slot Gambled on in Cup Final Defeat”
“Liverpool Fans Fed Up with Duo Arne Slot Backed in Carabao Cup Final”
After crashing out of the Champions League on Tuesday, Liverpool quickly shifted their full focus to the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United. However, following a 2-1 defeat in the capital, fans have seemingly lost faith in two players in particular.
Dan Burn put Newcastle ahead just before halftime, rising highest in Liverpool’s box to head home. Not long after the break, Alexander Isak doubled the lead with a clinical volley past Caoimhin Kelleher, leaving Liverpool with a mountain to climb.
Although substitute Federico Chiesa pulled one back with a well-taken goal late on, it proved only a consolation as Newcastle held on to secure a historic win — ending their 70-year wait for silverware in dramatic fashion.
While few Liverpool players emerged with any credit from the defeat, two figures have found themselves at the center of most of the criticism — Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, who formed half of Liverpool’s attacking line.
Between them, Jota and Diaz have racked up an impressive 101 goals and 40 assists in 313 combined appearances for the Reds, but their performance in the final fell well below expectations.
Jota, deployed as the lone striker, and Diaz, operating on the left flank — a position where he’s often considered one of the Premier League’s best — both struggled to make an impact when it mattered most.
Jota’s afternoon was particularly underwhelming. In just 57 minutes before being replaced by Darwin Nunez, he failed to register a single shot, squandered a big chance, and completed none of his dribble attempts (0/1). Newcastle’s Dan Burn and Fabian Schar, meanwhile, dealt with Liverpool’s attack with surprising ease, rarely looking troubled by the duo.
Jota won just two of his five duels (40%) and was often second-best when it came to loose balls. But perhaps the most worrying stat of all is that he managed only 16 touches throughout his time on the pitch.
As for Luis Diaz, typically a constant menace on the wing, he looked far from his usual self. In his 74 minutes, Diaz missed a clear-cut chance, completed only 33% of his dribbles (1/3), and gave the ball away six times. Struggling to influence the game, he was eventually replaced by Harvey Elliott with just 16 minutes to play.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), many Liverpool fans have made it clear that the duo — who pocket a combined £195,000 per week — are now seen as surplus to requirements, having failed to show the quality expected at a club chasing trophies.
One fan didn’t hold back, bluntly stating: “Diaz and Jota are finished at this club.” Another echoed the frustration, asking: “Anyone else tired of watching Jota and Diaz?”
Spooky how little Liverpool’s front line has offered in the games vs PSG and now against Newcastle. Salah is an elite creator & scorer but struggling with traditional wing duties.
Luis Diaz and Jota have been flat-out poor, Jota especially. Squad weaknesses being exposed.
— WhattaHit (@WhattaHit) March 16, 2025
Looking ahead to the summer transfer window, another fan argued that it would be the ideal opportunity for Arne Slot and the club’s hierarchy to cash in — especially if Liverpool end the season as Premier League champions.
“Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota must leave this club in the summer. Both are nowhere near good enough for this level,” the supporter declared.
Meanwhile, a final fan summed up the growing frustration, suggesting that fielding both Jota and Diaz together completely disrupts Liverpool’s usual attacking rhythm: “Bro, when will Slot realise you can’t play Jota and Diaz together?”