The Liverpool defender impressed the former striker and pundit against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ian Wright feels Mamadou Sakho was the man of the match during Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Tottenham on Saturday afternoon.
Indeed, Jurgen Klopp’s first game in charge of the Reds finished with an encouraging draw at White Hart Lane, after an exciting first half petered out with a tedious second 45 minutes.
But there were some good performances for both sides and Wright was most impressed by Liverpool centre-back Sakho.
There was no Dejan Lovren in the Liverpool squad v Spurs and Sakho could well now be given an extended run in the first team alongside the more experienced but, currently, shakier Martin Skrtel.
| Blocks | Clearances | Headers | Tackles | Interceptions | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mamadou Sakho | 2 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 90 |
| Martin Skrtel | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 90 |
| Jan Vertonghen | 1 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 90 |
| Toby Alderweireld | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 90 |
As Opta stats show, all four centre-backs on the pitch during the Tottenham – Liverpool clash contributed heavily in terms of clearances, blocks, headers, tackles and interceptions.
There were some exceptions, with Toby Alderweireld not winning a header or making a block, although he didn’t necessarily need to.
Sakho, meanwhile, didn’t win a tackle. But his nine clearances were vital and some of the blocks he made for Liverpool were sensational.
He certainly impressed against Tottenham and, without the Frenchman and Simon Mignolet, Spurs would surely have found the back of the net.
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