I think I speak for many other Liverpool fans when I say I was skeptical when the club signed Diogo Jota. Nearly $50 million for a player who scored just seven league goals last season? Especially with the attacking depth the Reds have? Mo Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino starting. Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino, Xherdan Shaqiri, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita off the bench. Liverpool only has three senior center backs, and Klopp is going off and overpaying on a somewhat promising attacker? It didn't make much sense at the time.
Now, less than two months later, Jota just secured his fifth hat trick in senior football by scoring three times in Liverpool's Champions League 5-0 win over Atalanta.
I think I owe Jota (and Jurgen Klopp) an apology.
What a cheeky finish from Diogo Jota
He's been a brilliant signing for @LFCUSA pic.twitter.com/KQlUf7kXEq— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
Cool as you like:
Michael Edwards is somewhere smiling.
Diogo Jota has hit the ground running, his second of the game! pic.twitter.com/rjyzApIzwM— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
And the third — just so easy:
Um, dois, três Diogo Jota gets his hat trick! pic.twitter.com/RRVpYMdQyj
— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
This trio of goals brings his Liverpool goals total to seven in just 10 matches. He also has three goals in five Premier League games — all of them leading to Liverpool victories. In fact, Liverpool has won every match Jota has scored in.
With performances like these, it's easy forget the 23-year-old Portuguese international only joined Liverpool in September. But he looks to be a fixture in Jurgen Klopp's side for years to come.
