"Jurgen Klopp's recruitment has been extraordinary" - Tony Cascarino says Diogo Jota 'isn't far behind' what Mohamed Salah has done for Liverpool

Former Ireland striker Tony Cascarino has praised Jurgen Klopp's recruitment strategy at Liverpool with special emphasis on Diogo Jota's contribution.

The 59-year-old was speaking on his GameDay Breakfast show on TalkSport when he highlighted Jota's impressive display for the Reds.

He compared the Portugal international's output favorably with Mohamed Salah and stated that the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man is not far behind the Egyptian superstar.

“Jota isn’t far behind what Mo Salah has done for Liverpool.”

“Salah was brought in, a lot of eyes brows were raised in the game.”

“It was exactly the same for Jota.”

Diogo Jota has displaced Roberto Firmino in Klopp's starting lineup for most of the season, with his being his most productive campaign in the English top-flight.

The 25-year-old has been charged with leading the Liverpool attack in the absence of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. The duo are currently disputing the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and Jota has played a starring role in their absence, with 14 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions this season,

His latest star turn came when he scored a brace at the Emirates to guide the Reds to a 2-0 aggregate victory over Arsenal in the EFL Cup semifinal.

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Manchester City's slip against Southampton gives Liverpool a lifeline in title race

The Reds are 12 points behind Manchester City and have two games in hand on the defending champions

Manchester City are heavy favorites to successfully retain their league crown and are likely to saunter their way to a fourth Premier League title in five years.

Their rampant recent form saw them win 12 consecutive games in the Premier League to open up a 11-point gap at the summit. However, their winning run came to an end in a 1-1 draw away to Southampton which gives the chasing pack a flicker of hope in their quest to dethrone the Mancunians.

The biggest beneficiaries are Liverpool, who now find themselves 12 points behind the defending champions. A victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday would see them close the gap to nine points with a game in hand.

It is still a far stretch to suggest that Manchester City will relinquish their lead at the summit. However, their dropped points at St Mary's could see the Reds claw their way back into the title race.