04 March 2023 , 22:30
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Diogo Jota is back - and in the mood to help Liverpool qualify for the Champions League and inflict some serious damage on Manchester United’s title hopes.
The Premier League’s biggest rivals meet at Anfield - and something has to give. Jurgen Klopp has challenged his team to produce an end-of-season surge for the top four after a campaign plagued with inconsistency, while Erik ten Hag’s side are eyeing an unlikely charge to become champions after lifting the Carabao Cup.
Jota’s four-month absence with a badly damaged calf muscle has had a huge impact on Liverpool’s fortunes. But after also missing the World Cup, the Portuguese forward wants to make up for lost time.
Jota said of United: “If they really believe they can win the Premier League, then losing points isn't really an option. It will be a hard knock for them, but they are still involved in a lot and they have had a really tremendous season after a shaky start.
“We believe it can be a big game and hopefully we can win. It will be a big one, for sure. If we win it will give everyone a bit more respect for our momentum - and that's what we will try to do.
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“It is like one of the biggest games in the Premier League, especially for the fans. And it comes at the right moment for us - if you can say that in this season. We are ready to give it a go, but it won't be easy at all.”
Klopp has refused to give up on a season in which Liverpool have never been in contention for the title and slipped out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in the early rounds.
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Diogo Jota is back in action after his long-term injury (PA)Their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League have also been severely damaged by a 5-2 first-leg home defeat by Real Madrid. But Liverpool made it 10 points from 12 games by beating Jota’s former club, Wolves, on Wednesday night.
It was only the 26-year-old’s second start since he was injured against Manchester City in October. But he set up the opening goal for Virgil van Dijk in a 2-0 win that also saw Mohamed Salah find the target.
Salah has scored 20 goals for the sixth successive season - and the clash of the Reds could be a shootout between the Egyptian master and United’s 25-goal talisman, Marcus Rashford. Jota said: “Everyone knows about Mo’s ability to score goals.
“He's a great professional. Sometimes you need a bit of luck not to get injured, but the work he does off the pitch is outstanding. That's partly why he's involved in every single game and, of course, he's there to score goals.
“It is not easy to be there all the time at the highest level, time after time, after time. Mo is able to do that and even when people are saying he's not playing well he's still able to score goals. That makes him a special player.”
Jota would love to repay Klopp for the support he was given during his extended spell on the sidelines. The Portuguese has found the back of United’s net four times previously, and added: “Even when I was injured, he (Klopp) is the kind of manager who gives you confidence and belief.
“I know he trusts me and I have tried to deliver on the pitch. It has not been easy being out for so long and expecting to get my rhythm back. Against Wolves, I was able to get an assist. That is what the attacking players want - to get involved in goals.
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“Of course, we can finish in fourth place. It's not something that we would have wished for at the beginning of the season, but it's more realistic now and the thing we can fight for.”