Naby Keita played the full 90 minutes of Liverpool’s 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace yesterday, posting a great performance, which went somewhat under the radar amidst the Reds’ shooting masterclass.
The Guinean was often purposeful in possession, driving the team on with forward runs and well-weighted, lofted balls; in truth, he was unfortunate not to leave a mark on the assists sheet.
In a game resplendent with beautiful goals and play, Keita was often quite willing to take part in the dirty work behind the machine, popping up with important tackles to keep the Reds on the front foot.
It was fantastic to see our No.8 last the entire match, and it will provide some measure of hope to Jurgen Klopp that the midfielder is ready to enjoy a run of games for the club.
You can watch the clip below:
Naby Keita vs Crystal Palacehttps://t.co/z5w7TJzOje
— LFC Comps (@LFCComps) December 19, 2020
He actually had big mistakes even in this game, he has a tendency to “fall asleep” with the ball on his feet or before receiving it. I’d be rather nervous seeing him starting in a big one. He won’t be more than a useful squad player as it seems at the moment, but looking at his prive tag, we could also call him a flop.
Keita was superb. Quick feet and likes to drive forward more than our other midfielders. He had direct involvement in 2 of our goals and almost an assist, but Minamino missed an easy chance.
His awareness today was very good, won the ball back numerous times, energy was good, and played the whole 90 minutes.