Diogo Jota sends brilliant four-word message after rescuing draw on Liverpool injury comeback

Diogo Jota was back with a bang as he ensured Liverpool would escape their ordeal against Fulham with a point. He may have missed 11 matches in which his team have been catapulted into title favourites, but his latest message to supporters proves the goalscorer knows what's at stake.

Andy Robertson's 17th-minute red card shortly after the visitors had taken the lead had left Liverpool well and truly on the back foot. However, Arne Slot's tinkering made sure his team avoided what could have easily been a second defeat of the campaign.

One of the head coach's moves was to introduce Jota with 11 minutes remaining - moments after Rodrigo Muniz had restored the lead for Marco Silva's group. As if he had not been missing since October 20, 'the slotter' took two touches to create the space and sent Bernd Leno the wrong way with his shot four minutes from the end of regulation time.

Back when Jota last took to the field for his club against Chelsea, October was extremely early timing to be drawn into Premier League title race talk or dreams of lifting another Champions League. But in the Portugal international's absence, an unbeaten run which included back-to-back wins over Real Madrid and Manchester City, and away draw at Arsenal plus fightbacks against Brighton and Southampton have seen the club established themselves at the top of both domestic and European tables.

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"I'm here to fight", was the four-word caption he posted to Instagram alongside photograph highlights of the Fulham draw. On the surface, supporters may wish that statement to mean avoiding yet another fitness problem for the rest of the season.

With Federico Chiesa also making the bench yesterday, it marked the first time Slot has had all six of his forward options available at one time since September. But Jota's message also displays understanding of the altered situation he has walked back into after almost two months out, plus his willingness to contribute when there is a title race to be won.

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Liverpool started Saturday with a game in hand on their closest rivals following the postponement of last weekend's Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. Arsenal were the only other top-four team involved on Saturday, failing to capitalise on the Reds' result as they drew 0-0 with Everton.

Second-place Chelsea, playing Brentford, and Manchester City facing rivals Manchester United have the opportunity to close the gap today, though in doing so both will move one match ahead of Slot's team again.

A win away at Girona earlier in the week was also Liverpool's sixth out of six in the Champions League. They are on the verge of qualifying automatically for the competition's last 16, and finishing top of the league phase will on paper present them with a favourable chance of making the final.