There would have been no complaints from the Liverpool squad that it was 16-year-old Rio Nguomha who took the limelight after an incredible victory over Newcastle United on Monday night.
Liverpool are two matches into their Premier League title defence, and have blown two-goal leads in both fixtures yet somehow clawed back victory at the eleventh hour.
Looking at the table, you’d call it a flawless start from Arne Slot’s side, six points from six as they push to retain a top-flight title for the first time since 1983/84.
However, the thrill of successive victories in dramatic fashion has papered over the cracks that Liverpool’s unbalanced set-up has shown since the summer break.
Slot proved himself and then some last season, and there’s every confidence that the wrinkles will be ironed out.
However, certain players look like shadows of their former selves at the moment, and no one more so than Ibrahima Konate in defence.
Ibrahima Konate's performance vs Newcastle
Konate left plenty to be desired as Liverpool scraped past Bournemouth in their Premier League opener, courtesy of a late Federico Chiesa winner from the bench.
Against Newcastle, he didn’t fare any better, having been criticised for his “poor” performances to start the campaign by Reds correspondent Lewis Steele.
On the face of it, Konate didn’t look to have done too badly on Tyneside, winning four of his six contested duels and maintaining accuracy in possession.
However, the eye test revealed a different story. The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle branded the France international with a 4/10 match score, drawing attention to his unconvincing defending and his fault in missing his header in the second half, allowing William Osula to restore parity for the hosts.
Most of a Liverpool persuasion will be aware that Konate is being chased by Real Madrid, and that he is into the final year of his contract at Anfield.
Regardless of the outcome of his situation (which is starting to evoke unwanted Trent-themed memories), Liverpool need to sign a central defender before the transfer window closes.
Liverpool in talks for Konate upgrade
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Liverpool remain in talks to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, who, like Konate, has entered the final year of his contract.
Guehi, 25, has been one of Liverpool’s main transfer targets all summer, and it’s looking likely that an official approach will materialise in the coming days.
The main sticking point centres around valuation: Guehi will be a free agent at the end of the season, and so Liverpool consider Palace chairman Steve Parish’s £40m asking price to be exorbitant.
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FSG seek something closer to £35m, though they will be aware that Manchester City are mulling over a move too.
Why Marc Guehi would start for Liverpool
Guehi, 25, has captained Crystal Palace to their first two trophies, beating Manchester City to win the FA Cup in May and following up that triumph with a penalty shootout win over Liverpool in the Community Shield earlier this month.
He has spent four years at Selhurst Park, having joined the south Londoners from Chelsea after graduating from the infamous Cobham academy and enjoying a successful loan spell with Swansea City in the Championship.
Now, he is one of the most refined and respected centre-halves in the Premier League, and there’s every chance that he would arrive on Merseyside and instantly take Konate’s place in Liverpool’s starting line-up, especially when considering how the Les Bleus man is playing right now.
Matches (starts)
34 (34)
31 (30)
Goals
3
1
Assists
2
2
Touches*
64.9
71.6
Pass completion
84%
90%
Big chances created
5
2
Key passes*
0.5
0.3
Ball recoveries*
4.3
3.2
Dribbles*
0.4
0.1
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.8
Clearances*
4.6
4.0
Duels (won)*
4.9 (59%)
4.4 (66%)
Errors made
2
3
Konate was in fine fettle indeed last season, producing his personal best campaign on Merseyside both in terms of fitness and performance from August to May.
But you could argue Guehi performed at a similar level for a side battling far lower down the divisional ladder, proving more creative with his passing and more active in defensive phases.
Described as a “monster in defence” by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi’s technical quality is further outlined by his ranking among the top 2% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for through balls and the top 11% for shot-creating actions per 90, as revealed by data-led platform FBref.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
And if that isn’t enough to sell you on his quality, just take a look for the man himself in action, carrying and controlling the ball with the deftness of a midfield maestro.
Perhaps the most exciting part is that the Eagles defender has yet to make his move to the highest level, and could raise his game several levels by linking up with Slot’s squad, by allowing himself to be inculcated into Slot’s tactical knowledge.
Analyst Ben Mattinson remarked in the past that the £50k-per-week Guehi is “one of those versatile centre-backs who can play both sides equally as comfortably.”
With that in mind, it seems like he could be stepping into Virgil van Dijk’s boots as the indomitable captain creeps closer toward the final stretch of his Liverpool career.
However, when considering how Konate is playing at the moment, it’s more likely that Guehi will be housed on the right side of the central defence, leaving the Frenchman languishing on the bench.