Jurgen Klopp explains why Diogo Jota is “so valuable” – it’s not just the goals!

Diogo Jota has now scored four times in six days, after over a year without one, but Jurgen Klopp believes he is “so valuable” beyond his goals.

It was a long 372 days for Jota, albeit with a long-term injury and two breaks in play, with the wait for a goal an agonising one for the No. 20.

After his brace in the 6-1 thrashing of Leeds on Monday night, the forward referenced Cristiano Ronaldo’s words on goals being “like ketchup” as “when they come, many come all at the same time.”

Two more came on Saturday, then, to help Liverpool on their way to a 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest, with Klopp full of praise afterwards.

But as he spoke to reporters in his post-match press conference, the manager insisted it was more than just the goals that made Jota “so valuable.”

“I think the second goal, you can really see what goals do to offensive players. They give confidence,” Klopp said.

“It was a super first touch. It didn’t look like a massive chance in the first moment, when you see three in the box, then first touch, great, and the second one is just exceptional.

“He could have scored [another] one in the first half already.

“Again, that shows you can, as an offensive player, be involved in absolutely each defensive situation and still be a threat offensively.

“There’s no if/or, you can do both. Diogo is doing that.

“That makes him so valuable for us, and that’s why he deserves that.

“It’s wonderful, after the long, long time he was out, now having these positive things.

“He was involved in the Arsenal equaliser in a very important manner, and now twice scoring braces is top.”

Before the game, Klopp explained that “the ticket into this team must be, and will definitely be again, counter-pressing.”

That felt, in many ways, like a reference to Darwin Nunez, who was named on the substitutes’ bench for a third game in a row on Saturday to make it four times in the last five.

While Nunez has captured the imagination of supporters in his debut season, he appears a little lost between roles in the Liverpool attack.

As a striker, Klopp admitted that the Uruguayan requires a “specific setup so he can play and defend in the centre,” which is seemingly not the case with Jota.