“We were going on a mission” – Diogo Jota reveals what Klopp told Liverpool players at the start of dream run that closed gap with Manchester City

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota; [inset] Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has revealed that manager Jurgen Klopp told the team that they were "on a mission" to catch up with Manchester City in the Premier League.

City took a commanding lead at the top of the standings in the initial weeks of January after the Reds dropped points thrice in succession. They played out a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur and followed it up with a 1-0 defeat to Leicester City and another 2-2 draw against Chelsea.

In a conversation with Liverpool's official website, Jota noted that December presented a challenge to players due to the schedule and injuries within the squad. The Portuguese forward stated:

"We always want to win, but December is always a tough period when you play loads of games. Sometimes you don’t have enough time to rest, and we had some injuries as well, some sent off. It’s a hard period. You need to survive, of course. City got a little bit of an advantage in those periods, but then regroup and go again."

The Reds got their Premier League season back on track with a 3-0 victory against Brentford on 16 January. Klopp's side haven't tasted defeat in 10 league contests since that win over the Bees. They are now just a point behind leaders City with seven games to go.

Jota recounted the message the German tactician gave them and the reason for their improved form:

"I remember Jürgen said that we were going on a mission to win every single game. At the time, I think it was [the] Brentford game, so we just grabbed three [points] after three after three. That’s what makes us close to the first place at this moment."

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He concluded:

"Now, we need to wait for them to drop points again. We need to do our job, so that’s what we need to be focused on, because it is not easy to win seven Premier League games in a row."

Diogo Jota has been fantastic for Liverpool this season

A major reason for Liverpool's fantastic results this season has been Jota's form in front of goal. The 25-year-old is the Reds' second-highest scorer this term behind Mohamed Salah, with 21 goals in 44 matches across all competitions.

Jota netted thrice in four Carabao Cup matches as Klopp's troops lifted the title. He has also scored twice and assisted once in four FA Cup matches to help his side reach the final, where they will meet Chelsea on 14 May.

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Jota will have an important role to play as Liverpool look to win an unprecedented quadruple this season.