Liverpool needed a proper Thiago replacement against Tottenham Hotspur and found one in Naby Keita. The Guinean put in a wonderful display in London.
Thiago has become a vital player for Liverpool over the last couple of months. He’s the one they turn to for ball progression, relying on him to control midfield and move the team into dangerous areas.
He does this with passing, mostly. No player in the Premier League averages more progressive passes (forward passes over 10 yards in the opponents half) than Thiago – it’s not just at Liverpool where he stands out.
The problem, though, comes when Thiago isn’t in the team. That’s unfortunately quite common and it’s a problem that only increases when Roberto Firmino isn’t in the side. Liverpool just can’t play between the lines properly without either of them but especially when Thiago is missing.
And that was a problem that surfaced on Sunday against Tottenham Hotspur. Thiago missed the fixture after a positive Covid-19 test, leaving Liverpool scrambling. The problem got even worse when Jordan Henderson fell ill, while Fabinho was out, too.
In a mismatch midfield, then, Klopp turned to Naby Keita to be his ball progressing midfielder. We can comfortably say that he delivered.
Naby Keita replaces Thiago for Liverpool
We wrote in the buildup to the match that Liverpool could have a ‘second Thiago’ in Keita. Not because they’re identical players by any means but because the Guinean can move the ball forward so well. If Thiago isn’t there, perhaps they could turn to Keita.
He was fantastic when running with the ball, for one. Keita performed seven progressive carries, dribbled past three players and moved the ball into the final third twice.
Keita also completed eight progressive passes – more than anyone but Liverpool’s full-backs. Four of those moved the ball into the final third, one into the penalty area, and one created a chance. While not quite being Thiago’s levels – he averages over ten such passes – the Reds couldn’t really ask for more.
Defensively, too, Keita was solid. He pressed 29 times – more than anyone in the game – and was successful with over 55% of them. That’s an incredible number, meaning Liverpool had the ball within six seconds of a Keita press more often than not.
This was a magnificent all-around performance, then. Keita stepped up to deliver what Liverpool lacked without Thiago and it’ll be interesting to see what happens from here. Can the two thrive together? Can Keita be the long-term successor?
Either way, we can’t wait to find out. Keita looks brilliant right now.
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