Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate delivered another colossal performance in the 2-0 victory against Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday evening. The Reds secured the top spot in the Premier League with an emphatic victory while their rivals Manchester City lost.
Liverpool have won 15 out of 17 games in all competitions this season with the defence playing a crucial role. New head coach Arne Slot has implemented subtle changes to rectify the critical problems that the club faced last season.
Liverpool conceded many goals last season under Jurgen Klopp which eventually played a big factor in their late season collapse. However, Slot emphasizes the importance of maintaining control and structure while balancing the “risk vs reward” dichotomy to improve efficiency.
Liverpool have only conceded 10 goals from those 17 games due to the formidable performance from the defence this season. Konate and captain Virgil van Dijk have played as the first-choice centre-backs with Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah backing them.
Despite losing their first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Liverpool have continued to enjoy success and reliance in their defence with consistency. Konate has proven that he can play back-to-back games while maintaining a high level of fitness for the long term.
The French international struggled with fitness and nagging injuries in his past season for Liverpool since signing from RB Leipzig. The 25-year-old also struggled with a rare drop in form last season which cost Liverpool greatly in the end stages.
According to Sqauwka Live, Konate won 100% duels for Liverpool against Villa while enjoying 93% passing accuracy during the game. He made four clearances and won possession two times while making two interceptions and one tackle against strong opposition.
The 25-year-old also won two fouls and created one chance for his teammates while not conceding a single foul. Furthermore, the Villan players failed to dribble past the French colossal throughout the game despite having many quality players up front.
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Konate will represent France in the November international break as the fans hope that he can continue his brilliant form until the very end of the season.
