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Opinion: 15 seconds set the tone for Liverpool’s win over Huddersfield as big-money signing finally gets going

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By Saiyed Adeem Karim

Liverpool opinion: Naby Keita is coming to the Liverpool party finally

Out of all the summer signings for Liverpool, the one I was most excited about was Naby Keita.

The Guinea midfielder had been one of the stars for RB Leipzig over two seasons and seemed to be a fantastic fit for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

However, the transition to the Premier League didn’t go as planned. Keita looked decent in our season opener against West Ham United but he didn’t put in fantastic performances on a regular basis.

Naby Keita of Liverpool
Naby Keita celebrates against Porto

Couple that with the form of Georginio Wijnaldum this season, and Fabinho gaining prominence, and Keita was finding it tough to start regularly.

The 24-year-old suffered from several minor injuries which kept him out of the side as Liverpool kept doing their bit by staying on top of the Premier League.

Klopp seems to trust Keita’s ability and has given the midfielder chances to prove himself. The Guinean has started our last five games and has scored thrice in them. The 24-year-old got his first goal for the Reds in the 3-1 win over Southampton and has improved with every game since.

Pressing presence puts Liverpool to the top

Keita seems to be a player that needs confidence when going onto the pitch. That first goal against Southampton seems to have done him a world of good, and he was fantastic in the 5-0 win over Huddersfield.

Pressing from the start, something that Klopp’s Liverpool are known for, Keita won the ball from the kick-off and was played in by Mohamed Salah.

The Guinea midfielder didn’t waste time as he shot low past Jonas Lossl into the net to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead after just 15 seconds.

That was our fastest ever goal in Premier League history, and Keita kept on harrying and pressing the Huddersfield team.

The midfielder complete 92% of all his passes in the game, the highest for the Reds amongst outfield players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZq9v0lVn-w

Keita also had two dribbles in the game, which was only second to Mohamed Salah. The Guinea midfielder also recorded four tackles in the game, tied highest with Georginio Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold (All stats courtesy Whoscored.com).

Granted this was only Huddersfield, but you have to beat what is laid out in front of you.

The 24-year-old seems to be getting into the groove of things at Liverpool, and this is great news for the Reds.

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Fabinho took time to show his ability and Keita is doing his bit now. Hopefully, he will get better as the season comes to an end and starts the upcoming campaign in great form.