Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp seemed to have ticked the box in the transfer window, identifying what he mostly needed by paying Wolves £41million for Diogo Jota.
The Portuguese seemed to have settled immediately into the team. This could be partly because it’s the same league with almost the same game pattern.
The striker is gradually becoming a mainstay in the squad, as he has now been giving Klopp what he actually needed this time around, amidst defensive crisis.
Amazing team performance 💫⚽⚽⚽ pic.twitter.com/UVqiguuNUe
— Diogo Jota (@DiogoJota18) November 3, 2020
Jota continued his goal-scoring form by scoring in three straight games he started for the Reds. The icing on the cake was a hat-trick in the 5-0 rout of the high-scoring Italian side, Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, in a UEFA Champions League tie.
He has now become the second player to score on his first two starts in the Champions League for Liverpool, following Robbie Keane back in 2008. Bargain.
Jota is stats is also interesting in European tournaments. With the hat-trick scored yesternight, Jota has now scored nine goals since the start of last season in European competition (6 for Wolves, 3 for Liverpool). This is more than any other player for English clubs (excluding qualifiers).
The goalscoring form of Jota might relegates Roberto Firmino to Liverpool’s bench for now
It’s already a known tradition that the hat-trick scorer goes home with the match ball. It was also a unique occasion for the Portugues because it is his first hat-trick in the Champions League for Liverpool.
Meanwhile, the manager has said there is no selection headache with Diogo Jota or Roberto Firmino.
The Brazilian has been dropped due to the form of the Portuguese, but the German tactician insisted that Firmino will be in the team in their next game which comes up against Manchester City that also defeated Olympiacos 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
As the 23-year-old seemed to have broken up his established front three, Klopp welcomed his continued fine form but swatted away suggestions it had given him a selection headache.
Although Firmino is known to be a team player, who provides the assist as well, he has scored just one goal so far this season.
Jota’s stunning treble is a clear indication that Firmino might be spending more time on the bench for now because Klopp wouldn’t want to bench a player that has scored in the last three games for him, especially few days after scoring a hat-trick against a good opposition.
At a press conference after the win, Klopp said good wins doesn’t give him headache.
Since he is not going to be having a headache over this, the message is clear, Jota is expected to start against the Citizens on Sunday.
“That was the decision tonight, it made sense to use the shape Diogo was in, and because of the way Atalanta plays and defends, it made sense that the skillset of Diogo helps.
“But the world is sometimes really in a bad place when the moment someone’s shining, we speak immediately about another player who had played what feels like 500 games in a row.
“We would not even be in the Champions League if Bobby Firmino wasn’t with us, and immediately I have to explain why he’s not in the team. He will be in the team.
“For a lot of people in the world, if you asked them what makes Liverpool on Sunday special, they would say the way Bobby Firmino is playing.”
The tactician who noted the importance of competition said Jota had a good game, but it doesn’t mean he could be in line to start alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane when Liverpool head to the Etihad on Sunday.
“It’s important for us that we have more than 11, and tonight Diogo used his shape in an incredible way and played a super, super game.
“But that says nothing about Bobby and has nothing to do with causing me headaches. I’m more than happy that the boys played like that tonight.”
With six goals in six games, Jota has announced his arrival loud and clear. Byt he will have to prove it against Man City on Sunday again.
