There is something very Naby Keita-esque about Yves Bissouma.
And we do mean the slaloming, swaggering Naby Keita who set the Bundesliga alight at RB Leipzig, not the injury-prone bench-warmer who appears to produce a performance every six weeks or so at Anfield.
While Brighton suffered a controversial 2-1 defeat to rivals Southampton on Monday night, another dominant performance from their Malian maestro at least gave the returning Amex crowd something to smile about.
If Bissouma was feeling the pressure amid reported interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, he didn’t show it during a fine individual display that once again highlighted everything that is good about the Premier League’s most underrated central midfielder.
The £15 million enforcer was, as ever, strong in the tackle and capable of turning defence into attack in an instant, with a piercing run or floated through-ball.
Bissouma might not have done anything particularly spectacular against the Saints, but his confidence and composure in and out of possession stands out a mile.
On this evidence, Bissouma would fit in nicely at the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s industrious midfield, especially with Keita once again struggling to make his mark and Gini Wijnaldum’s contract expiring.
talkSPORT believes that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is also a big fan of the former Lille star. And the Gunners fanbase seem to share their manager’s passion for a man who is finally starting to get the credit he deserves.
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