Jurgen Klopp lauded Diogo Jota once again as Liverpool turn their attention back to the Premier League and Sunday's clash with Crystal Palace.
Jota scored twice in a 2-0 win for the Reds at Arsenal on Thursday in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final.
Once more shorn of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, who are on international duty with Senegal and Egypt respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool progressed with relative ease to set up a final against Chelsea next month.
It is the first time the Reds have made a cup final since 2019, when they won the Champions League by defeating Tottenham in Madrid.
Liverpool spent £41million to sign Jota from Wolves in September 2020 and he has gone on to score 27 goals in 57 appearances across all competitions.
Since he made his debut on September 24, 2020, only seven Liverpool players have featured more times across all competitions than Jota, with just Salah (51) able to better the Portugal international's goal tally.
Jota averages a goal every 138 minutes, once again a rate bettered only by Salah (120), while the 25-year-old has had the third-most attempts in Liverpool's squad since his arrival (141), behind Salah (245) and Mane (178).
Of outfield players to have featured at least five times, Jota has the third-best shooting accuracy (excluding blocks), with 59.1 per cent.
Jota is second in the Premier League scoring charts this season with 10 goals from 20 appearances, trailing only team-mate Salah (16), although he has slightly underperformed his expected goals (xG) of 11.4, suggesting he has missed some big opportunities.
After the win at Emirates Stadium, Klopp hailed Jota as a "world-class striker" and, in Friday's news conference to preview the trip to Selhurst Park, Liverpool's manager explained that the forward's quality was already there before he joined the club.
"Work," Klopp answered when asked what the trick to Jota's success was. "But if you don’t have the basis, nobody can perform miracles.
"Diogo came in and he was an outstanding player, but it helps if you are a striker when your team has more of the ball. Yesterday he had to do an awful lot to make it happen.
"Diogo is a really impressive person. Really grown up, a really mature young man. Loves football, loves working, training.
"He was in the middle of the team after three weeks, there was no time to adapt. I'm really happy for him. If you have this quality it’s nice that you can show it and that's what he's done."
Klopp also stressed the importance of Liverpool switching focus back to the Premier League and putting thoughts of the EFL Cup final to one side.
"The boys really wanted it and made it happen and are really looking forward to the final. The only problem is six or seven games to play until then. So we have to put it to the side a little bit but keep the feeling," he said.
"We were flying after the game, the boys were in a really good mood. That's how it should be. It gives us confidence, everything that was said without [Mane, Salah and Naby Keita] available, it's good for us.
"But we have to create a different mood until Sunday because Palace away, they don't give any presents, so we have to be in the fighting mood again.
"We will be, we are not kids anymore. We take the feeling, hopefully can use it but we have to be greedy again, aggressive and fight with all we have. Palace will ask for that. That's what I'm concerned about, not how we can keep this feeling before the final."
Liverpool have won their last six Premier League away games against Palace, including a 7-0 victory in the corresponding fixture last season, though Klopp is expecting a much sterner test this time.
"A one-off, a freak of nature. That day was incredible, we scored pretty much with each shot," Klopp added.
"We don't expect that again. They've changed and improved under Patrick [Vieira], they look like a really stable team. It's a really good Premier League team with a few unlucky results."
Fulham 3-1 Brighton: Iwobi brace the difference at Craven Cottage
Alex Iwobi was the star of the show as his brace helped Fulham to a 3-1 victory over Brighton on Thursday.
Iwobi capitalised on Bart Verbruggen's early error to get the home side off to a flying start at Craven Cottage.
Carlos Baleba finished expertly after neat work from Joao Pedro to bring Brighton level in the 56th minute, but Matt O'Riley's luckless own goal restored Fulham's lead.
And Iwobi wrapped up the points with a lovely bending effort in the closing stages to settle an entertaining contest.
Verbruggen's careless pass was pounced on by Iwobi and he side-footed home after only four minutes before Simon Adingra shot straight at Bernd Leno when he really ought to have equalised.
Rodrigo Muniz headed agonisingly wide on the stroke of half-time for Fulham but Baleba levelled for Brighton with an exquisite drilled finish from Joao Pedro's sublime flick into his path after 56 minutes.
But Fulham did well to reset and Andrea Pereira's fine in-swinging corner found the bottom corner via the backside of O'Riley before Iwobi rounded out the win by cutting in from the left and bending a fine effort past the Verbruggen into the far corner with three minutes to play.
Data Debrief: Iwobi in form as Brighton's Fulham hoodoo continues
Iwobi was the difference-maker in what had been a very tight contest at Craven Cottage and he has now scored (3) or assisted in or assisted (2) in each of his last four Premier League appearances, his longest such run in the competition.
This was only the second time the Nigeria international had managed to score twice in a Premier League game in what was his 267th appearance in the competition.
Brighton, meanwhile, have now faced Fulham nine times in the Premier League and failed to beat them. The Cottagers have five wins and four draws versus the Seagulls, the most they have faced a side without losing in the competition.
The visitors were the architects of their own downfall for the first goal and only Southampton (9) have had more errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season than Brighton (6), with Verbruggen responsible for three of those – the joint-most by a player in the competition in 2024-25.
Cacereno 1-3 Atletico Madrid: Simeone's side survive scare after late fightback
Atletico Madrid progressed to the Copa del Rey last 32, but only after surviving a scare against fourth-tier Cacereno.
Diego Simeone's side trailed 1-0 in the 83rd minute at Estadio Principe Felipe, after Alvario Merencio's first-half strike.
However, the LaLiga side levelled through Clement Lenglet, before striking twice in stoppage time through Julian Alvarez and an Adri Perez own-goal.
Julio Cobos' side were on a four-match winning streak in Group 5 of the Segunda Federacion, and took the lead on the half-hour mark, with Merencio rounding off a quick counter.
The hosts held firm but were finally breached seven minutes from time, when Lenglet headed in from Rodrigo de Paul's cross.
Cacereno were reduced to 10 men two minutes later with Jaime Sancho shown a second yellow card, and Atletico capitalised on their numerical advantage in stoppage time.
De Paul's shot deflected in off Perez to complete the turnaround, while Alvarez put the tie beyond the fourth-tier outfit later on.
Data Debrief: Late, late show spares Atletico blushes
Atletico had won each of their last seven matches across all competitions, but they were given an almighty scare on Thursday.
Nevertheless, Simeone's side eventually broke Cacereno's resistance, scoring three goals from the 83rd minute onwards in any competition for only the second time - also doing so against Real Zaragoza in June 2013.
Guardiola backs Grealish in holding midfield role ahead of Palace trip
Pep Guardiola believes Jack Grealish's move into midfield could help Manchester City build some momentum when they visit Crystal Palace, having finally halted their winless run.
City had gone seven games without a win across all competitions, losing four in a row in the Premier League to slip well behind Liverpool in the title race.
However, they got back to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, with Grealish excelling in a new-look midfield role.
Grealish created three chances for team-mates and completed 57 of his 58 passes, with his pass accuracy of 98.3% the best recorded by any City starter.
Guardiola feels he could be a long-term solution in that position, with City searching for the right balance after losing Rodri to a long-term injury.
He said of Grealish: "He played in the middle and was involved in many things.
"Hopefully in the next games, if I decide to play him in that position, he can be involved in the final third and decisive in goals and assists.
"We controlled the game, and Jack gave us that pace. When to accelerate and control, he did it really good. I'm so happy for him.
"I know his quality. He has attributes to play holding midfield, keep the ball, break the lines and composure."
The fit-again Kevin De Bruyne played in front of Grealish and registered a goal and an assist, and the Belgian believes now is the time for City to go on a positive run.
"It's been a tough time but we tried to change it," he said.
"Unfortunately we've got a few guys who are injured so it's what is happening this year. But we'll try and recover as quickly as possible."
Opponents Palace should also enter Saturday's game in better spirits, having claimed a huge 1-0 victory over fellow relegation candidates Ipswich Town on Tuesday.
Head coach Oliver Glasner knows building on that win is now the name of the game, saying: "We had more chances to decide the game. We couldn't but the win was well deserved.
"It's a big win. Now it's not time to sit back and relax but to keep going.
"In four days we face Manchester City. We stay humble. There are still many things to improve but we are on the right path."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta
Palace forward Mateta has scored on each of his last two Premier League appearances against City (two goals).
No Palace player has ever scored in either three games in a row against City or in three in a row against the reigning Premier League champions, but he will hope to do so after hitting the only goal in their midweek win at Ipswich.
Manchester City – Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne has been involved in four goals in his last four starts in the Premier League for Man City (two goals, two assists), both scoring and assisting against Forest last time out.
He has also had a hand in 12 goals against Crystal Palace in the competition (four goals, eight assists), only having more against Southampton (14).
MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN
Palace have won just two of their last 18 Premier League games against Man City (four draws, 12 losses), and both of those victories have come at the Etihad Stadium (in December 2018 and October 2021).
They have also lost seven of their last nine home Premier League games against City, drawing the other two, since a 2-1 victory in April 2015.
City have lost their last five away games in all competitions, last losing six in a row back in February 1994. The last reigning top-flight champions to lose six away games in a row were City themselves during the 1968-69 campaign.
But despite City's struggles, the Eagles are big outsiders for this one. Having won five of their seven Premier League home games under Glasner last term (one draw, one loss), Palace have won just one of their seven at Selhurst Park this season (three draws, three losses).
Neutrals might be entitled to expect entertainment, though. Since Guardiola joined City in 2016, Palace have scored multiple goals against the Citizens in six different Premier League games – only Tottenham (nine) have done so more often in this time.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace – 20.7%
Manchester City – 56.5%
Draw – 22.7%
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
