Gianfranco Zola says Liverpool star is "one of the cleverest players" in the Premier League
Diogo Jota had yet another successful outing in the Premier League with Liverpool as he got on the scoresheet with a fine header and broke the deadlock against Watford on Saturday. The striker has been in great form throughout the season and has been applauded for his contributions.
He was singled out for praise by Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola after his performance against the Hornets. Speaking on the BT Sports network, Zola said,
"He's one of the cleverest players in the whole of the Premier League."
The praise is well deserved as the Portuguese striker has been consistent throughout the season and is one of the reasons why Liverpool still find themselves in the title race. With that header, Jota has taken his tally to 20 goals this season in 40 appearances across all competitions. Fourteen of those goals have come in the Premier League alone, placing Jota second on the Premier League goalscoring chart.
Diogo Jota's shooting in the Premier League this season:
◎ 22 headed shots
◎ 25 right-footed shots
◎ 24 left-footed shots
◉ 4 headed goals
◉ 4 right-footed goals
◉ 6 left-footed goals
Incredible. https://t.co/jHQgYq61KX
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who was also on the BT Sports panel, spoke of the Liverpool forward in high regard. He said:
"That's an unbelievable run. He's top goal scorer for headers in the Premier League this season. That's unbelievable and he was brave to get his head in there."
Jota is definitely not among the tallest figures in the English top-flight, with the player standing at 5ft 10in tall. But he makes up for it with his clever movement, poaching instincts, and a great leap. In fact, he is able to generate great power from his head even with little movement and momentum, which makes him lethal in the air.
He had a good spell with Portugal during the international break as well, getting on the scoresheet in the World Cup playoff against Turkey and providing an assist against North Macedonia.
Liverpool continue to mount pressure on Manchester City in Premier League title race
Title chasers Liverpool dethroned Manchester City from the top after their 2-0 win against Watford in the Premier League on Saturday. A header from Diogo Jota and an 89th minute penalty dispatched by Fabinho gave the Reds all three points. However, their advantage lasted only a couple of hours as Pep Guardiola's side reclaimed the lead at the top with their win against Burnley later that evening.
Man City vs Liverpool - 10 April.
Pep: “You cannot deny that City and Liverpool were in control of the Premier League the last few years.”
Klopp: “The levels we take each other to are absolutely insane.”
The best 2 teams in the land face off next week. It’s going to be mad. https://t.co/17DTA4f10i
This was a milestone game for Jurgen Klopp, who took charge of his 250th match for the Reds and took his tally to 160 victories for the club. This was the Anfield side's 10th consecutive victory in the Premier League this season. As things stand, Man City remain at the top of the table with 73 points in 30 games and Liverpool in second with 72 points from their 30 games.
For the remaining games, losing is not an option for both heavyweights. It will be interesting to see how they cope up with the pressure alongside the Champions League quarterfinals. Klopp and Guardiola will face off in a potential Premier League title-decider on April 10 at the Etihad Stadium and the title is anyone's to lose now.