Diogo Jota described Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane as "world class" after netting his first hat-trick for Liverpool in their 5-0 demolition of Atalanta in the Champions League.
The Portuguese moved to Anfield in a £41 million ($53.3m) deal in September and has proved a valuable addition to Jurgen Klopp's Premier League champions.
With Roberto Firmino struggling for goals, Jota was preferred at the tip of the Reds' attack in Bergamo on Wednesday and repaid his manager's faith in spades.
"Obviously they [Mane and Salah] are two world-class players, we all know their quality which makes it easier for me to do my job because they are outstanding and we had a great game together today," said the 23-year-old, who has now scored in four consecutive games since his move from Wolves.
"Five goals, that doesn't happen so often."
Jota scored a first half brace, completing his hat-trick after 55 minutes after Salah and Mane added two more just after the break in northern Italy.
"We scored early so that's a good moment for me and the team and then we can manage the game our way," Jota added.
The Portuguese became just the second player to score on his first two starts in the Champions League for Liverpool since Robbie Keane 2008, after notching the opener in a 2-0 win over Midtjylland last time out.
"I'm playing in the best team of my career so far," Jota said.
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Atalanta v Liverpool ratings
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ATALANTA RATINGS: Marco Sportiello - 3. Was overwhelmed by the relentlessness of Liverpool’s attack. Should have done much better for Mane’s goal and Jota’s third. AFP -
Rafael Toloi - 3. Never able to get a grip on Mane and Jota. Will have nightmares about the Liverpool forwards. AFP -
Berat Djimsiti - 3. Bemused by the crispness of Liverpool’s passing and was often confused about which opponent to pick up. AFP -
Jose Luis Palomino - 3. Roasted by Jota. Unable to cope with the pace and movement of Liverpool’s front three. AFP -
Hans Hateboer - 3. Salah turned the Dutchman with ease for the third goal. Will not be looking forward to the return match at Anfield. AFP -
Mario Pasalic - 3. The Croat made no impact in England after signing for Chelsea six years ago and had a forgettable evening. Left the game with 27 minutes left when Malinovskyi came on. Reuters -
Remo Freuler - 2. Looked like he was treading water as Salah sped away from him before scoring Liverpool’s third and then again when the Egyptian broke quickly in the closing stages. Ineffectual. AFP -
Johan Mojica - 4. Struggled to cope with Alexander-Arnold’s runs. Was unable to get forward and trouble Liverpool. Reuters -
Papu Gomez - 4. Forced to drop deep in an attempt to get on the ball and influence the play. The tactic did not work. Has talent but did not express it. AFP -
Luis Muriel - 3. A couple of half chances came his way in the opening period but the forward lacked composure and confidence. Replaced by Pessina in the 53rd minute. EPA -
Duvan Zapata - 5. Lack of movement and a tendency to stray offside meant the Colombian was disappointing in the first period. Missed a simple header but came to life in the second half when it was too late. He was unlucky to hit the woodwork and he forced a good save from Alisson. AFP -
SUB: Matteo Pessina - 3. Replaced the disappointing Muriel with 37 minutes left. Had little impact on the game. AFP -
SUB: Rusian Malinovskyi - 3. Joined the match after 63 minutes when Pasalic was withdrawn. Just about as anonymous as the man he replaced. AFP -
SUB: Fabio Depaoli - 4. Part of a triple substitution with nine minutes left. On for Hateboer as the minutes ticked away. Reuters -
SUB: Matteo Ruggeri - 4. Replaced Mojica in the 81st minute. Likely relieved that he did not have to face Liverpool for longer. Reuters -
SUB: Sam Lammers - 4. On for Gomez for the final nine minutes. Sent in a good cross and was lively despite the situation. Made a case that he should have started. AFP -
LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker - 7. Made a number of good saves, particularly from Muriel and Zapata. Quick off his line and excellent at starting Liverpool attacks. EPA -
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7. Stretches the opposition defence with his wide attacking play and is always a threat with his precise passing. Never forced out of his comfort zone in his own half. AFP -
Joe Gomez - 7. Rarely troubled. Confident on the ball and assured when playing out from the back. Had one nervous moment when he left his feet to allow Zapata a chance but otherwise excellent. Reuters -
Rhys Williams - 7. Comfortable and assured. Mature display for a 19-year-old who has so much potential to improve. Reuters -
Andrew Robertson - 7. Always ready to change the point of attack with a diagonal ball and eager to drive upfield. Replaced by Keita in the 65th minute. AFP -
Jordan Henderson - 7. Never stops running, never stops talking. Consistently available as an outlet ball for teammates and a vocal leader of the side. AFP -
Georginio Wijnaldum - 7. Dynamic when the opposition had possession and determined to get forward and join the attack when his own team had the ball. Reuters -
Curtis Jones - 7. Found lots of space and showed his ability on the ball. Relished raiding into the Atalanta penalty area. The 19-year-old shone like a seasoned veteran. Reuters -
Mohamed Salah - 8. Turned on the afterburners to race more than 70 yards to score. He exudes danger constantly. Almost caught out the goalkeeper with a clever chip from deep. EPA -
Diogo Jota - 9. Unstoppable right from the start. Showed remarkable strength for his first goal and superb technique for his second. Displayed great anticipation, pace and control for the hat-trick strike. The Portuguese has made Liverpool even deadlier up front. EPA -
Sadio Mane - 8. A bright, vibrant performance was rewarded with a goal. Ran the defence ragged and combined well with Jota. EPA -
SUB: Roberto Firmino - 6. Tough for the Brazilian, who replaced Jota in the 65th minute. By the time he arrived Liverpool were on cruise control and it was hard to impress in the circumstances but this is a player who never lacks effort. AFP -
SUB: Naby Keita - 6. Given a run-out as Jurgen Klopp rested Robertson with Manchester City on Saturday in mind. Effective in a 25 minute cameo and full of energy after returning to fitness. Reuters -
SUB: James Milner - 6. Took over from Henderson with 24 minutes left. Did his usual steady job, first at left-back and then in midfield. Should have scored from a header in the area. EPA -
SUB: Konstantinos Tsimikas - 6. Joined proceedings with eight minutes remaining when Wijnaldum was substituted. Sent in a dangerous cross and showed promise in his second appearance since signing in the summer. EPA -
SUB: Neco Williams - 5. On for Alexander-Arnold in the 82nd minute and will be satisfied with his contribution at both ends of the pitch. Vital experience for 19-year-old. AFP
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Klopp insisted Jota's form does not give him a selection problem with regular striker Firmino rested ahead of the weekend Premier League clash against Manchester City.
"Good performances never give me a headache," said the German.
"For tonight it was clear that it made more sense to use the good shape that Diogo is in and because of the way Atalanta plays in defence it made sense that the skillset of Diogo helps.
"The world is sometimes a really bad place that in the moment when someone is shining we speak immediately of a player who played for us it feels like 500 games in a row, and we would not be in the Champions League if Bobby Firmino would not be with us.
"Tonight Diogo played a super, super game but that says nothing about Bobby."
