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Seven goals in just 10 games. Three clinical goals to complete a ruthless hat-trick in the Champions League this week. A good start in the “best team of his career so far”.
Diogo Jota is already starting to look like a £ 45 million bargain for Liverpool.
And it is almost certain that he will play somehow against Manchester City this afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp has a dangerous player in good shape with the added advantage of Pep Guardiola guessing exactly how he will unfold.
Of course, there are many images of Jota from his time with the Wolves that the town chief can study.
But the Portuguese star’s ability to add jerky moves, serene finishing touches and tactical fluidity means he remains something of a surprise package at his new club.
What are Klopp’s options to unleash Jota at the Etihad Stadium?
Here are three ways you could play it …
Switch to 4-2-3-1 and attack
It was interesting to see the 4-2-3-1 formation make an appearance again for the recent win against Sheffield United.
Liverpool got off to a brilliant start, but soon lost their rhythm after a controversial penalty for a Fabinho tackle on the edge of the area.
But the Reds finally found their rhythm again and integrated into the system.
Could it have been partly a test of use in City?
It would offer a solution to put Jota on the field and at the same time accommodate Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
And given the injury problems in midfield, maybe he’ll provide a good answer in that department too; with Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum the obvious double-pivot duo.
However, the possible problem would be giving up too much control over the center of the park to Man City.
However, if Firmino could stop Rodri and make the best of their duels, Liverpool could prosper and be in a good position to launch attacks.
Stay with the Atalanta plan
The 5-0 midweek win will have given Klopp a lot to ponder.
First of all, the way the game developed allowed him to make changes. Jota came out with the better part of half an hour remaining, with Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson joining him. Those could be valuable minutes on the bench ahead of City.
Next, Jota’s goals and overall performance simply cannot be ignored. He danced across the front line with consummate ease, scoring from different positions and angles.
Salah, Mane and Jota were able to be swapped and combined to devastating effect. They claimed five goals and three assists between them while taking a combined 11 shots, all of which hit home.
Surely Klopp must be tempted to see if they can do their magic again.
However, a big problem if he stayed 4-3-3: who is the third midfielder? Henderson and Wijnaldum seem ready to go. But with Thiago, Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all lost, the options are running out.
Curtis Jones has made admirable progress lately, but this would be an even bigger leap. James Milner has only made appearances as a substitute in the Premier League so far this season. Naby Keita has just returned from a spell on the sidelines. Xherdan Shaqiri feels like a wild card move too far under the circumstances.
All are capable, but it could be said that each represents an element of risk. Choosing wisely, and keeping the city busy and under pressure from central areas, can be key to getting a result.
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Hurt City with Jota late
Jota went on to clinch the winner against West Ham last month. He also secured a victory over Arsenal in September with a substitute goal to make it 3-1.
The first signs suggest that he possesses the ability to read a game from the touchline and deliver quickly if presented to him.
This too, of course, would allow Firmino to remain in his signature role at the center of Liverpool’s attacking trident.
Klopp was robust in his defense of the Brazilian midweek after Jota’s heroics against Atalanta.
The boss said: “The world is a bad place sometimes, that the moment someone shines, we immediately talk about another player who played what feels like 500 games in a row.
“Without Bobby Firmino, we would not even be in the Champions League. He will be in the team and for many people in the world if you ask them ‘what makes Liverpool special?’ they would say ‘the way Bobby Firmino is playing’.
“For us it is important that we have more than 11.”
Firmino has stood out before on several occasions against City. And since he only entered during the last half hour of victory in Italy, he will be fresh and looking forward to going to the Etihad.
From that perspective, it might make sense to switch the roles of Jota and Firmino later today and use the Portuguese from the bench.
The final call on how to line up presents a significant headache for Klopp. But if the Reds boss gets it right, it could be a lot more painful for Guardiola.
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