Ibrahima Konate has had his fair share of critics over the years, but he has the chance to put things right.
Liverpool get their 2026 campaign underway against Leeds on New Year’s Day, with the reverse fixture causing them some issues.
After going 2-0 up, they crumbled in the latter stages and scraped a 3-3 draw, with this a worry given that Leeds’ form has only improved since then.
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Konate was at fault for giving away a penalty that day, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin putting it away to put the Reds under immense pressure.
Konate and Calvert-Lewin have previous history too, with Gary Neville once very critical of the Frenchman when he faces him before, so now is his chance to prove him wrong.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin dominated vs Ibrahima Konate
Calvert-Lewin has faced Liverpool many times before, of course, during his time at their rivals Everton, and he often caused them a big problem.
The Reds, but specifically Konate, struggle against physical strikers and they almost always target the Frenchman as they know he is the weak link.
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Calvert-Lewin did just that when he played against them for Everton two seasons ago, with Neville very critical of Konate’s performance that day.
“When Calvert-Lewin is at his best, he can bully centre-backs,” Neville said during Sky Sports‘ coverage back in 2024.
“Konate is a big bloke. (But Calvert-Lewin) has got to him. That’s the thing about centre-backs, they don’t like losing aerial duels and Everton are the best at it. He’s got some spring, that man (Calvert-Lewin).
“Konate was picked for the right reasons, to be that dominant partner for Virgil van Dijk, but it’s just not worked. They can’t handle Calvert-Lewin. He is beating Liverpool’s centre-backs up.
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Ibrahima Konate can prove himself against one of the best in the league
On form, Calvert-Lewin is one of the best in the Premier League right now, with the Englishman scoring six in his last five games.
He will, obviously, target Konate when they face Liverpool too as he knows he can get the better of him physically, although this could be the Frenchman’s time to really stand up and be counted for.
He needs to prove that teams can no longer target him and that he is just as solid as his partner Virgil van Dijk, with this being something that would really take the Reds to the next level.
His leadership has been questioned at times too, but if he can nullify the threat of one of the most in-form attackers in the league, then he really will show exactly why Liverpool need to do all they can to keep him.
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