“I’m impressed every time I watch him” – Paul Robinson on Liverpool man who gets ‘better and better’
Ex-Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has heaped praise on Liverpool forward Diogo Jota. Robinson has claimed that the Portuguese forward keeps improving with each passing day.
Liverpool advanced to the EFL Cup semifinals on Wednesday night, beating Leicester City 5-4 on penalties. The two Premier League sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in regular time. The Red came out victorious in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout to record a memorable win.
Considering Premier League’s breathless schedule, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp decided to give most of their key players a rest, including Diogo Jota. Unfortunately, goals from Jamie Vardy and James Maddison hurt Liverpool’s chances of progression, forcing Klopp to bring the 24-year-old back into the fold in the second half.
Jota in front of the Leicester fans.😂 https://t.co/161Ef25sgr
Trailing 3-1, Liverpool needed Jota’s directness up top and the Portugal international did not disappoint. He kept the Leicester defenders on their toes and cut the Foxes’ advantage in half with a shot across goal in the 68th minute. Takumi Minamino scored Liverpool’s equalizer in injury time to push the game to penalties.
Diogo Jota brings Liverpool within one
https://t.co/jiunWwJh81
Here, too, the Portuguese was given the responsibility of scoring Liverpool’s winning penalty. Following Ryan Bertrand’s miss, Jota needed to convert his strike to win the game for the Reds. Fortunately for the Kop at Anfield, he made no mistake slotting it home from 12 yards out.
FT after 90 minutes : Liverpool ( A.Oxlade-Chamberlain '19 Diogo Jota '68 T.Minamino '90+5 ) 3-3 Leicester ( J.Vardy '9 '13 J.Maddison '33 )
Liverpool wins 5-4 after penalty shoot-out !!!!!
#CarabaoCup
https://t.co/GXwpl1sbCZ
Impressed by the forward's performance, Robinson highlighted his key strengths and also lauded Liverpool for doing their due diligence on the player.
Discussing Jota’s red-hot form with Football Insider, Robinson said:
“I’m impressed every time I watch him. There was always a lot of talk about who could break that front three and a lot of people thought nobody could. Jota has done the seemingly impossible.”
He added:
“The club definitely did their due diligence on him because his attitude on and off the field is exemplary. He fits into that team perfectly. His movement on and off the ball is quite brilliant and he always looks like he is going to score. What a signing he’s proved to be.”
Having scored 10 goals in 17 appearances, Diogo Jota has emerged as Premier League’s second-leading scorer this season. He currently trails his teammate and the league’s leading scorer, Mohamed Salah, by five goals.
Liverpool to face Arsenal in the EFL Cup semifinals
Jurgen Klopp’s in-form Liverpool will face Mikel Arteta’s spirited Arsenal in the last-four of the EFL Cup in January. While Liverpool needed a penalty shootout to progress, Arsenal registered a comfortable 5-1 win over Sunderland to book their place in the final four.
Carabao Cup Semi-Final draw:
Arsenal vs Liverpool
Chelsea vs Tottenham
🍿 https://t.co/jICWJingtE
The first leg is set to be played on January 3, with the second leg scheduled for the 10th of the same month. However, if COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the EFL Cup semi-final could be reduced to a straightforward one-legged affair.