Jota Shines as Liverpool Mauls Sevilla

 The Portuguese player scored the first goal with a shot that looked like it was made by Robbie Fowler. He made a solid case to start next weekend against Ipswich.

Liverpool beat Sevilla 4-1 at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, continuing their intense buildup to the new Premier League season. Luis Diaz scored twice for the home team.

After 30 minutes of play in the sunny Merseyside weather, Diogo Jota scored the first goal with a great shot with his weaker left foot. 

He then set up Diaz to score the second goal for the Reds. The winger scored again right before halftime, thanks to great work from Dominik Szoboszlai and Jota.

Arne Slot's team had already won three games, beating Real Betis, Arsenal, and Manchester United. Peque scored to tie the game, but Trey Nyoni scored from the bench to make it even better.

David Luis:

Luis Diaz is still at Anfield less than a week before the new season starts, even though there is a lot of talk about his future. The good news is that he looks as happy as he ever has.

One thing that people don't like about Diaz since he moved here from Porto in January 2022 is that he's only sometimes happy with the results. A deadly dribbler at the club, the 27-year-old always does excellent work with the ball. 

But his final pass is only sometimes there, and he only scored eight Premier League goals last season. That's a decent score, but it needs to be better for a player with that much ability.

That's why seeing Diaz score twice at Anfield was so encouraging. Even though his second goal was a simple tap-in, his first was great. The forward cut inside on his right foot and smashed the ball home with it.

Fans of Liverpool can look forward to many more finishes like that this season.

Arne Slot could bring out the best in Darwin Nunez since the Dutchman turned Santiago Gimenez into a prolific striker at Feyenoord. 

That may be true, but Diogo Jota is still Liverpool's best finisher, and he needs to start up front in their Premier League opener at Ipswich next weekend.

The Portuguese forward was incredible. He broke the tie with a technically perfect left-footed shot that made me think of Robbie Fowler. He then played a vital role in both of Luis Diaz's goals.

Of course, the main question is whether Jota can stay fit for the whole season. However, if he does, he could easily score 20 or more Premier League goals for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old is the ideal player to lead Slot's attack.

The Uruguayan should be very scared right now after this Jota masterclass. Nunez and Gakpo will have many chances to make a case for a starting spot.

It was perfect for Arne Slot's first game as Liverpool's manager at Anfield. 

Even though a clean sheet would have been nice, the former Feyenoord coach would have been happy with how his team controlled the game and kept pressing constantly.

To be honest, there weren't any real problems.

 During the first half, Dominik Szoboszlai had some trouble making an impact as the No. 10 player, but the Hungarian then showed what he could do by running past his forward to grab Jota's through ball and leaving Diaz with an easy finish.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's shooting and passing caused a lot of trouble, and Kostas Tsimikas again showed why he would make an excellent backup for Andy Robertson.

For now, Richard Hughes and his team have yet to make their first summer signing, but Liverpool are in great shape ahead of next weekend's game at Portman Road after an excellent pre-season. 

Even though it was just a friendly, Anfield really likes how Slot's team looks.