Naby Keita has suffered quite the crash in what was his best area last season. The 25-year-old hasn’t had the best season, either.
Naby Keita was the best dribbler at Liverpool last season but he’s suffered a complete crash this term.
We singled that skill out at the end of the campaign, highlighting it as a way he could become a star at the club. Keita was the player with the best ability to drive the ball through midfield, something that works well for Liverpool in a team constantly wanting to move vertically.
Keita’s stats were actually quite ridiculous. He averaged 2.7 completed dribbles a game – that was the best at Liverpool last season and would be the best this term, too.
He was so good, in fact, that he failed just three dribbles last season out of 25 attempted. No one else came even remotely close to that percentage last season.
When a player is that standout, it’s hard not to be excited about it. It’s such a shame, then, that he’s completely crashed this season.
Setback
Keita has played five games this season but is averaging just one per game (stats per Whoscored). That’s way down in seventh for the team – on par with Andy Robertson, not a known dribbler.
Encouragingly, Keita’s completion rate is still fantastic. It’s 100%, in fact. It suggests that he’s simply just not attempting to run with the ball anywhere near as much as last season, rather than becoming bad at it.
And that might sum Keita’s time at Liverpool up. He’s got the ability – we just don’t see him use it enough.
Once he’s back from injury, we hope to see Keita running with the ball and threatening teams again. It truly is his best asset and something that can greatly benefit Liverpool.
But when he’s not doing it, it’s hard to be anything other than frustrated.
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