61 touches, 3 duels won: ‘Exceptional’ Liverpool star showed Luis Diaz the way against Cardiff

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Liverpool saw off Cardiff City this afternoon in the FA Cup and it was a good day all around for the Reds and their manager, Jurgen Klopp.

Luis Diaz got an exciting debut off the bench, while Harvey Elliott returned from injury to score. Further, fringe players like Takumi Minamino also contributed to what was, in the end, a comfortable win.

Liverpool and Klopp are desperate to win the FA Cup. It’s a trophy that’s eluded Anfield for over 15 years now, and the German coach would love nothing more than to get this hands on it. Today’s showing was a positive step, and Klopp will need all his squad – regulars and fringe players – to perform.

However, one man who Klopp can certainly count on is former Wolves forward, Diogo Jota. The striker was once again on the scoresheet today and overall, he put in a superb performance.

Everywhere

When you talk about busy forward players, Diogo Jota is right in the conversation. He drops deep, runs in behind, is a pest for defenders, and scores goals when the chances come. Really, he is the ideal compliment to both Salah and Mane, who as we know, are both missing.

Today against Cardiff, Jota did a bit of everything. Per stats provided by Squawka, Jota’s performance showed off all the traits which have see Klopp label him ‘exceptional’ in the past.

Jota contributed 61 touches, four shots on goal, and created three more chances. Beyond just being in and around the box, the Portuguese dynamo also showed other facets to his game. He won three duels, completed three successful take-ons, and provided two successful crosses.

In a nutshell, Jota was everywhere for Liverpool today. And in putting in such a fine display, it sent a message to new signing Luis Diaz that he won’t be giving up his place in the first XI easily.