JOTA HOLDS THE KEY
Striker could be difference in title race this season
THE TALK was all about how the return to fitness of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip can give Liverpool the foundation to build a title challenge.
But in a fully fit Diogo Jota Liverpool have something else to help launch a bid to dethrone Manchester City.
Jota, 24, arrived at Anfield 11 months ago and made an immediate impression. He scored nine goals before a knee injury in December halted his fast start since joining from Wolves.
Unlike Van Dijk and his defensive partners, Jota was able to return before the end of the campaign and help the Reds’ push for the top four.
Now he has got the new season off to a flying start with the opening goal against Burnley at Anfield on Saturday to add to his strike at Norwich last week.
Jota coasted in ahead of Ben Mee to head home Konstantinos Tsimikas’s cross in the 18th minute.
He has now scored 15 for the Reds in 32 appearances – a goal every 127 minutes.And 10 of those have either been the opening strike or the decisive one in a game.
“The first goal is always the hardest, most of the time it is the one that unlocks the game,” said Jota.
“And that’s what we want to do. If it comes in the first half, that’s massive for us because it gives us the opportunity to control the game differently.”
Jota’s goal eased any fears Burnley may repeat their victory at Anfield last season that ended Liverpool’s remarkable 68-game unbeaten run at home in the Premier League.
It is not that he has taken Roberto Firmino’s place in the team – the Brazilian could start Saturday’s clash with Chelsea – but it is no longer contentious for Jurgen Klopp to pick the Portuguese ahead of one of the mainstays of their Champions League and Premier League-winning sides.
Sadio Mane, who kept his place in the front three along with Mo Salah, got the second goal after a wonderful move in the 69th minute. Van Dijk sprayed the ball out wide to Harvey Elliott, the teenage ace who was a bright spark all afternoon against the Clarets.
Elliott fed the ball to Trent Alexander-Arnold and his pass was rifled home by Mane.
Reds manager Klopp said: “Everybody wants to talk to me about Harvey and I understand absolutely.
“When an 18-year-old boy plays such a mature game I can understand why everyone was asking, but I was not surprised he played like this.” LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 7, Matip 7, Van Dijk 7, Tsimikas 8 (Gomez 90); Keita 7 (Thiago 81), Henderson 7, Elliott 8; Salah 7, Jota 8 (Firmino 81), Mane 7. Goals: Jota 18, Mane 69. BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 5; Lowton 6, Tarkowski 6, Mee 5, Taylor 6; Gudmundsson 6 (Pieters 80), Brownhill 6, Cork 6, McNeil 7; Wood 6 (Rodriguez 75, 6), Barnes 5.