Liverpool put in a very good team performance to record a second Premier League win of the season on Sunday.
The Reds looked well placed to follow up their opening day win against Ipswich Town and collect three points at home to Brentford.
And on Arne Slot’s first ever competitive match in charge at Anfield, his team delivered. Two goals, a clean sheet and three points.
After just two games, there are already very clear signs as to how Slot wants to set his Liverpool team up. There are still places up for grabs in the starting XI, but you can see who the head coach fancies and who he does not.
One position where there had still been a question mark over heading into the game was at centre-back. After Jarell Quansah’s very mixed opening day, the door was open for Ibrahima Konate to make his mark.
Neil Mellor gives verdict on Ibrahima Konate
It was not a surprise to see Quansah get the nod over Konate at Ipswich. The academy graduate had a far longer pre-season than the Frenchman.
But things soon turned sour for Quansah as Slot hauled him off after 45 minutes. Although he was a little unlucky to be hooked so brutally, Liverpool were vastly improved once Konate came on.
After Quansah picked up an injury in midweek, it was always likely that Konate would come back in to face Brentford.
And while Jarell was ultimately fit to take his place on the bench, Liverpool’s No.5 proved a real point at Anfield.
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One pundit who was thoroughly impressed by Konate’s display was former Reds striker Neil Mellor.
Speaking on The Official Liverpool FC Podcast after the game, Mellor claimed that Konate had been ‘absolutely superb’ in securing a clean sheet for Liverpool.
“I thought he was absolutely superb, some of the blocks, he won all the duels there,” said the pundit.
“His defending one-v-one, you always fancied him to time his challenge, to make sure there was no opportunity. So, he was outstanding, he really was.”
Ibrahima Konate hails Mohamed Salah
Konate was indeed absolutely colossal during Sunday’s important win. It’s safe to say that, unfortunately for Quansah, Ibou is Virgil van Dijk’s partner for now.
But Konate was not the only player to impress against Brentford. Speaking to the press after the match himself, Konate hailed the contribution of Mohamed Salah.
“It’s crazy, every season it’s always the same story,” laughed the France international. “Even when he goes to the Africa Cup [of Nations] he has a lot of goals. I don’t understand how he does that really.”
If Konate was crucial to Liverpool’s win at one end of the pitch, then Salah was vital to it at the other.
An all-round good performance from the Reds, but this pair were two of the real winners of the day.
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