Liverpool's defensive form in the Premier League has been troubling of late and their once formidable back line has looked vulnerable, meaning Sunday's daunting match against Manchester City at Anfield is going to be their biggest test of the season.
The Reds are currently having to cope without defensive duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip who are both injured. The already long list of players currently on the treatment table that Jurgen Klopp has had to deal with so far this season has seen their current situation compared to the 2020-21 campaign.
In the year when Liverpool were hoping to retain their Premier League crown they experienced a full-blown injury crisis. The area of the team that suffered the most was the defence, with Klopp utilising 18 different centre-back pairings to help steer the club through that difficult period.
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With the constant injuries plaguing Klopp’s defensive ranks two seasons ago, results suffered as Liverpool finished 30 points less than their title-winning campaign in 2019-20. And when you compare their points tally from their first eight Premier League games in 2021-22, where they collected 18 points, they have seen a steep decline this term as they have only picked up 10 points in the same time, with just two wins to their name.
Liverpool have conceded double what they had in their first eight games last year, shipping 12 goals already this campaign. Their defence has looked in disarray at times and it has been a great concern. However, there is hope.
While Matip is unavailable, there is a more than suitable replacement ready to come in and help turn Liverpool’s league fortunes around. Ibrahima Konate made his return to the Reds team having missed the start of the campaign through an injury sustained during pre-season. He marked his comeback when he came off the bench in last weekend’s defeat at Arsenal, before following it up with a strong performance at Ibrox in his side's 7-1 thrashing of Rangers in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Frenchman has received plenty of praise when he has played for Liverpool in the past, with many highlighting his athleticism and physicality. He possesses all the attributes that forge a formidable defender. Since the beginning of 2021-22, Konate has seen 10 clean sheets in 27 games where he has played a full 90 minutes across all competitions.
Against Rangers, Konate looked superb. He was strong in the challenge and won all but one of his duels (eight out of nine) in the air and on the ground. He completed four clearances, blocked two shots, made one clearance and had a 100% tackle success rate as he got his first full 90 minutes of the season in the tank.
As long as he can prove his fitness before kick-off, the 23-year-old will surely start his first Premier League match of the season against City this weekend. His pace and strong defensive attributes makes him the toughest Liverpool defender to face for City’s Norwegian star Erling Haaland - even more so than Virgil van Dijk.
Konate cost Liverpool £36 million when he moved to Merseyside from RB Leipzig in July 2021 and given how well he has already performed for the Reds and the high ceiling he has, he could be one of the best bargain signings in the modern game. In a recent interview with Onze Mondial, Konate gave Liverpool supporters a huge boost regarding his future.
He said: “I’m 23 and it’s a club where I could end my career. This club is among the top three clubs in the world.”
Liverpool are currently 14 points behind the league leaders Arsenal and 13 behind Pep Guardiola’s side. In his pre-match press conference, Klopp ruled out this game as a title decider, suggesting that Liverpool are not City’s closest rivals this year.
The 55-year-old has been concerned by his team’s defensive performances but the return of Konate, given his track record, could provide a huge boost going forward. As well as his broad skill set, he will offer some much-needed organisation and discipline which can hopefully inspire Van Dijk to rediscover his form in the backline and help Liverpool pick up the pace with their top-six rivals.
