Thiago says Liverpool teammate hits the ball better than him, Klopp rarely starts him

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Thiago Alcantara has been getting all sorts of praise at Liverpool over the past week or so.

And rightly so.

The Spain international produced a virtuoso performance on Saturday as Liverpool hammered Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield.

And then on Wednesday, Thiago scored only his second goal for the Reds in the Champions League win over Porto.

The 30-year-old’s rifled, skimmed shot rippled the net from well outside the box, prompting praise from fans and pundits alike.

But Thiago has suggested that he isn’t the best shooter at Liverpool, insinuating that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might be.

He said to BT Sport: “I think he’s one of the best in our team at hitting the ball – maybe the best. In training we just have to learn everyday from him.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who’s started five Premier League games since the start of last season, added: “It doesn’t always look as pretty as that [Thiago’s goal].”

True?

In a word, potentially.

Liverpool are regularly posting brilliant footage of Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring belters at the training ground.

But to do it in a real-time situation is something entirely different and therefore he might be a little humble.

The truth is that his goal against Porto was a sublime demonstration of technical ability, accuracy and confidence that not many at Liverpool can match.

There’s plenty of players in Jurgen Klopp’s squad who have a long-range spectacular in their locker, but not with that level of finesse, no.