Jurgen Klopp praised the mentality and quality of “world-class” Diogo Jota after the forward hit a brace to send Liverpool into the League Cup final at the expense of 10-man Arsenal.
After a goalless first leg at Anfield last week, Jota’s first-half daisy-cutter caught Aaron Ramsdale flat-footed and he then saw a second-half VAR check rule he was onside following a smart finish as Liverpool won 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
To top off a miserable night for Arsenal, Thomas Partey — who only returned from the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the day — was sent off only 16 minutes after coming off the bench.
It means Klopp’s Reds head to Wembley, where they will face Chelsea on February 27 after Jota stole the show in north London.
“We scored two wonderful goals, Diogo Jota was on fire,” he said. “We were completely convinced when he arrived at the club he would help us massively. Since he is here, he has made another step, he has turned into a really world-class striker.
“Mentality mixed with quality is the reason we signed him.
“Of course he scored two goals, he is incredibly important to us, so it is that mix of his skills that is really exciting. He is in good shape as well and long may it continue.”
Liverpool will be aiming to win a record ninth League Cup when they face Chelsea in their first appearance in the final in six years.
Before then, Liverpool have six games across three other competitions and Klopp will not be getting distracted by the Wembley date.
“You play a final, it is likely you will play an outstandingly strong team and that is what we do now,” Klopp added.
“Wembley is a special place, we have a lot of games to play until then. We will see where we are then, but we really put a lot of effort in this competition and we really wanted to go through and when you are in the final, there is no reason to be a part of the final if you don’t want to win it.
“When we will be there at the end of February, we will give it a go, but unfortunately the opponent probably will as well.
“The mood in the dressing room is over the moon. Difficult game, difficult time, but the boys were exceptional. First half, Arsenal started lively, then we calmed it down, played good football and created plenty. Second half similar.”
This leg was initially scheduled to be the first of the tie but was postponed after a number of positive coronavirus cases at Liverpool, while Arsenal had successfully appealed for Sunday’s north London derby at Tottenham to be called off.
This game had been in doubt but went ahead as planned, with Arsenal able to welcome back a number of players who would have been unavailable at Spurs.
The hosts started brightly, Alexandre Lacazette hitting the crossbar with a free-kick inside the opening five minutes.
But that was as good as it got for the Gunners, with Mikel Arteta bemoaning another red card — the 14th of his Arsenal tenure — as Partey was sent off for a pair of bookings in quick succession.
“I am very disappointed because when you have the final there, one game away, you have a level of excitement and you’re really looking forward to it,” he said.
“We did everything we could to put a competitive team out and I think we had our moments in the game against a top side.
“Obviously [the red card] is again a big loss and we have to learn from that. We played the last three games with 10 men and against those top sides you cannot do that because you are completely exposed.
“It is difficult enough to beat them, and with 10 men it becomes a real challenge and it is not what we need for sure with the amount of players out, not to have him.”
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What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
