Liverpool took three points from Wolverhampton 2-1, with Ibrahima Konaté scoring the opener and making the mistake that led to the equaliser in the second half.
The Premier League clash between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday ended with the away team winning 2-1, but what was just as interesting as the result was the performance of French defender Ibrahima Konaté, who helped the team secure three important points.
The Athletic’s James Pearce has echoed the sentiments of many Kop fans, saying the Frenchman is “both impressive and frustrating” – a description that seems fitting given his performance throughout at Molineux.
On the positive side, Konaté scored the opening goal for the ยูฟ่าเบท team just before half-time and also made a crucial block from Carlos Forbes in the final 20 minutes. Additionally, Sofascore stats show that he won the most duels on the team (5) and had an 88% pass accuracy.
However, there were also negatives to be seen, with the former Leipzig defender making a mistake when Rayan Ait-Nouri equalised for Wolves and picking up a yellow card for a foul on Matheus Cunha, while all four of his attempted long passes failed.
The up-and-down performance was what Pearce called a “day to remember” for Konaté, reflecting the dual nature of a player who can be both brilliant and disastrous.
Despite his shortcomings, Konaté has retained his place in the starting line-up since the season-opening win over Ipswich Town six weeks ago, coming on as a second-half substitute for Jarrell Quansah.
WhoScored statistics show that since taking over as a permanent starter, Virgil van Dijk’s partner has the second-highest passing accuracy on the team (90.7%), won the most duels (22) and made the second-highest clearances (21).
However, mistakes can happen to any footballer and if Konaté can maintain his defensive strengths and learn from what happened against Wolves, he has a chance of being a key player for Liverpool in their bid for success this season.