Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on Diogo Jota following the club’s convincing 4-0 Premier League win over Southampton on Saturday.
The Portugal international has been in excellent form for the Reds this season. He bagged his sixth and seventh goals of the league campaign against the Saints.
Following the game, Klopp was full of praise for the 24-year-old, who has proved the ideal competitor to Roberto Firmino for the centre-forward role.
Jota was initially considered as a potential back-up option, but he is now regarded as a key player, starting ahead of Firmino on quite a few occasions.
Klopp hailed him as an ‘exceptional player’ after his first-half brace yesterday. The German said that the forward has everything that a Liverpool player needs.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: “Diogo: exceptional player, exceptional boy. It was for us two years ago, one-and-a-half years ago, a perfect signing because he has everything that a Liverpool player in this squad needs.”
Firmino has suffered two separate hamstring injuries this season, but his absence has not been felt with Jota stepping up with multiple stand-out performances.
The forward made a terrific start to his Reds career last term, but his campaign was disrupted by a knee injury that kept him out of action for nearly three months.
The setback has not affected him greatly and he appears back to his best. He has managed 24 goal contributions for the Reds from just 46 appearances.
Meanwhile, a second successive 4-0 win has seen the Reds go within one point of leaders Chelsea, but the Blues have a game in hand against Manchester United today.
The Merseyside giants will return to Premier League action on Wednesday with a derby against Everton.
The Toffees took four points off them during the previous campaign, Liverpool will be keen to avenge those results with a convincing win at Goodison Park.
They should be favourites for the encounter with the Toffees in a poor run of form. Rafael Benitez’s side are currently 12th on the table after four losses in five games.
