Diogo Jota gives Jürgen Klopp Liverpool dilemma as he makes a case to start over Roberto Firmino

Diogo Jota gives Jürgen Klopp Liverpool dilemma as he makes a case to start over Roberto Firmino

Liverpool Echo Sports·2021-08-07 22:00

Liverpool's front three has been recognised as being one of the most dangerous in Europe since Mohamed Salah's arrival at Anfield in the summer of 2017.Since Jürgen Klopp added Salah to the mix which only accentuated Roberto Firmino's move into a false nine role Liverpool have won the Champions League and captured something for which they've been desperate for 30 years: the Premier League.However, football is a sport that never stands still, with teams constantly looking for ways in which they can improve and stay on top of their game. Liverpool did just this in signing Diogo Jota in last year's summer transfer window. After the excitement surrounding the capture of Thiago Alcântara from Bayern Munich, Liverpool took fans by surprise with a follow-up announcement of the Portuguese international. For the first time, the front three of Sadio Mané, Salah and Firmino would have significant competition. Last season for Liverpool ended well, with Champions League qualification secured and a third-place finish, but of course, the Reds will have gone into the campaign with their sights on the biggest of prizes. However, injuries to the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Thiago, Henderson and Jota himself laid waste to this. Liverpool's number 20 started life on fire at Anfield, scoring on his debut in the win over Arsenal. Despite his injury troubles, he went on to record nine goals in the Premier League in just 19 appearances for the Reds, while notching a hat-trick away at Atalanta in the Champions League. A quickfire goal and all-round lively performance in pre-season against Bologna showed he is as sharp as ever.Having Jota in the squad allows Klopp to deploy all four of his attackers if he believes that is what's required, especially since the Reds struggled to break down teams who sat with 11 players behind the ball last campaign. Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated ArticlesHaving the option to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation could make a huge difference for Liverpool as they look for answers when breaking down a defensive wall. Not only does Jota provide this option for Klopp, but the 24-year-old can come into any of the three forward positions when Liverpool play their traditionally favoured 433 system.The struggles of both Mané and Firmino were well-documented last season, especially when it came to goals. The Senegal wide man scored 11 times in the league and Firmino hit nine goals, with Salah scoring more than the pair of them combined.The Brazilian isn't known for his goals. His ability to drop deep, pick up the ball and create space for Mané and Salah to run into is one of the reasons he has been a fixture in the Liverpool side in the last four campaigns. Even so, single-figure returns will be a concern, particularly with Jota matching his tally from 17 fewer games.Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated ArticlesMané had a well-earned break during the summer and has hit the ground running since coming back to pre-season, scoring three times. Hopefully, Liverpool's number 10 comes into the new season full of confidence ready to put the last campaign behind him. It remains to be seen who will start the season in attack for the Reds in their opening Premier League game away at Norwich City next Saturday, but you can be certain one of the places will be filled by talisman Salah.The Egyptian's 22 strikes last time out came in spite of the team's occasional creative struggles, and they were enough to drive the Reds across the line in the race for a Champions League spot.Despite being out of form last season, Mané can be expected to retain his left forward spot. After all, he is one of the most dangerous attackers in the Premier League and has proved this during his time at Liverpool.Firmino's late arrival at Liverpool's pre-season camp due to his exploits with Brazil as they reached the final of the Copa América means Jota, who looks extremely sharp in the friendlies he's played in, may have jumped ahead of him in the pecking order when it comes to who fills that central role against Norwich. It could be up for grabs in the longer term too. Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated Articles

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