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Why Naby Keita could soon be Liverpool’s most important midfielder

Naby Keita

The latest Merseyside Derby was a dull affair, but it did have one bright spark; Naby Keita.

The Guinean was direct, his passing crisp, his interplay with the front three inventive and his defensive work excellent. If he is able to stay fit, he could become one of Liverpool’s most important midfielders.

So far his  Reds career has stuttered, with injury holding him back from being as good as he can be. However, performances such as this and those against Red Bull Salzburg and Bournemouth have given a clear indicator of his quality.

Of course, where he goes from here will depend on his fitness, but if he stays fit, the numbers show a serious player.

In his eight Liverpool matches so far, he has an average of 1.33 XgChain per 90 minutes.  That combined with an expected goal of 0.33 per 90 is seriously impressive for a box to box midfielder. The high-level numbers don’t end there, however.

Despite being such a threat going forward, Keita doesn’t lose the ball often. His 91.4% pass accuracy rate in the Premier League is the second-highest for the Reds, with only Georgino Wijnaldum surpassing him.

This all-round offensive contribution is exactly what the Reds will need in tight matches going forward.

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Outside of the statistics, Keita has now had a full season to adapt to the premier league. He also has shown signs of a positive link up with former Salzburg teammates, Sadio Mane and Takumi Minamino.

As he plays, and his comfort in Liverpool’s system increases, it’s easy to see him improving.

It does have to be noted the sample sizes of these figures are small. Eight games in the Premier League and Champions League aren’t enough to give a stable reading of a player.

However, if they can be replicated in the long term, Jurgen Klopp has one hell of a talent on his hands.

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