‘I don’t have any personal battle with him’: Roberto Firmino insists Diogo Jota isn’t a rival as the pair fight for a place in Liverpool’s attack with £41m signing from Wolves scoring seven times to the Brazilian’s one this season
- Diogo Jota has made a flying start to life at Liverpool after moving from Wolves
- Portuguese forward has scored seven goals in 11 outings for his new club so far
- There has been talk he could take Roberto Firmino’s place in their front three
- But the Brazilian, who has scored once this season, insists there is no rivalry
Roberto Firmino insists he does not see Diogo Jota as a personal rival and believes Liverpool‘s attack will go from strength to strength with the Portuguese in it.
Jota, 23, has made a brilliant start to his Liverpool career since his £41million move from Wolves over the summer, scoring seven goals in 11 matches.
He is putting pressure on Brazilian Firmino for his place alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s much-vaunted forward three.
Roberto Firmino (right) insists there is no personal rivalry between himself and Diogo Jota (left) as they compete for a place in Liverpool’s forward line
Jota has made an impressive start to life at Liverpool with seven goals in 11 outings so far
Bur Firmino, who has netted just once in 12 outings this season so far, doesn’t see the competition as a problem.
He said: ‘Liverpool have a great squad of players, so earning a starting position here is not easy at all, and I am used to that.
‘Diogo is an excellent footballer and another companion in the squad.
‘We work hard during the week and then the coach decides who comes out. So, I don’t have any personal battle with him.
‘Liverpool’s attacking line is spectacular, and I would say comparable to any in the world, in any of the major leagues.
Roberto Firmino has scored just the once in 12 outings for Liverpool so far in the campaign
‘Now this year I see it as being even better. And it’s not emotion that makes me say this, but simply a result of looking at the statistics.
‘As for me, I work hard in training – and then on the field I do what Jurgen Klopp tells me. That is my working philosophy, always.’
Liverpool host Leicester City on Sunday evening as they aim to keep pace with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may field both Firmino and Jota against Leicester on Sunday
Klopp played all four of his attackers in their last outing, a 1-1 draw against Manchester City.
With Salah out having tested positive for Covid-19, it’s possible both Firmino and Jota will be included in the team to face Leicester.
Jota scored in Liverpool’s four matches prior to the draw with City, including an impressive hat-trick against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League.
