Michael Owen claims Diogo Jota was born to play for Liverpool

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Former Liverpool star Michael Owen has told BT Sport that he believes Roberto Firmino to be under massive pressure given the form of summer signing Diogo Jota.

The Portuguese player has scored eight goals in 13 appearances since arriving at Anfield and has given boss Jurgen Klopp a massive selection headache.

Both Jota and Firmino started last night’s game with Atalanta on the bench as Liverpool were beaten 2-0 in the Champions League.

Klopp’s forward options have sparked much debate in recent weeks, with plenty of people believing Firmino is in need of a goalscoring run.

The 29-year-old did get a goal against Leicester at the weekend, but Owen is clearly swaying towards Jota at the moment in time.

He told BT Sport, via the Liverpool Echo: “I think he’s under threat because no-one could’ve foreseen how this lad is. He surprised me, I liked him at Wolves, but all of a sudden you watch him now and you think he was born to in this Liverpool team.

“He’s quicker than I thought he was. I knew he was technically good, the timing of his runs, the way he’s linking, he has shown me that he can slot into those positions.”

“Jota has slipped in there seamlessly. You have to start him, if they had a Champions League final tomorrow, you can’t leave him out.”

TBR View – Owen is right, Jota is undroppable right now

Even Klopp can’t have predicted the impact the 23-year-old would have had when he arrived at Liverpool.

He has settled in with aplomb and is now looking every inch a £43 million player.

On £90,000-a-week he isn’t really among Liverpool’s highest earners but he’s certainly among the most important.

The challenge for Klopp comes in trying to fit four into three for a place in his attack.

Injury problems of late have meant a 4-2-3-1 system utilised by Klopp but it does take some of the gloss away from his stereotypical heavy-metal football.

Whatever system Klopp decides to play, Jota must remain a starter.