Liverpool’s Naby Keita and Manchester United’s Fred both made Premier League debuts this weekend. How did they compare?
Two big money midfield stars made their Premier League debuts this weekend for Manchester United and Liverpool.
Red Devils midfielder Fred cost £52 million and he helped United to a 2-1 win over Leicester City.
Liverpool ace Naby Keita required the same fee, and he impressed as the Reds beat West Ham 4-0.
There were no goals or assists from either player, yet both performed well and Keita was the instigator for the move which led to Liverpool’s opening strike.
Here is a look at how the two midfielders’ statistics compared…
| Position | Team | Match | Key Passes | Pass Completion Rate | Tackles | Interceptions | Dribbles | Shots | Touches | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred | MF | Manchester United | United 2-1 Leicester | 0 | 92.5% | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 76 |
| Naby Keita | MF | Liverpool | Liverpool 4-0 West Ham | 1 | 88.5% | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 81 | 90 |
The first point to note is that Fred did not complete the whole game, withdrawn for the final quarter of an hour, while Keita was given the whole 90 minutes.
Even with this in mind, Keita edged it between the two from an attacking sense, showing more ambition.
He created one chance, had one shot, and had two successful dribbles, while Fred put up a zero in all three categories.
The United midfielder played a safer game, with an impressive pass completion rate, and defensively he was more valuable, with three interceptions to Keita’s one.
Both players have more to contribute, and over the course of the season they will develop in confidence and personality to start showing their games a bit more.
After one game each, both sets of fans will be happy with the steady start made by the big money midfielders.
– Statistics sourced via Whoscored.com
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