Surprise player named best centre-back in the Premier League with William Saliba also included, but not Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk can be considered one of the best centre-backs in Premier League history, but he is not in the top five this season.
That is the vision of Arsenal Invincible former defender Martin Keown, who believes he is overshadowed by Liverpool team-mate Ibrahima Konate.
The pair have forged a formidable partnership at the back, conceding just six top-flight goals in 11 games.
Their relationship is one of the reasons why Arne SlotThe Barcelona team is five behind Manchester City at the top of the table.
Konate He did not even start the first game of the season at Ipswich, preferring Jarell Quansah.
With Liverpool Goalless at half-time, Slot replaced Konate with the young Englishman due to his physique.
And it is a decision that has borne fruit, since the Frenchman started the following ten games.
Meanwhile, William Saliba has been included in Keown's list, despite Arsenal failing to keep a clean sheet in their last seven Premier League games.
The Gunners had the best defense in the division last season, scoring just 29 goals and keeping 18 clean sheets.
But setbacks due to injuries have been seen Mikel Arteta forced to constantly modify his backline, although Saliba still managed to catch Keown's attention.
However, there is no place on the list for his teammate Gabriel Magalhaes, who has stood out in the last two years.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com, here Keown He details his five best central midfielders so far this season.
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5. Wesley Fofana – Chelsea
“When I saw him for the first time playing for Leicester, flabbyI thought, 'What a wonderful talent.'
“Fast, he drowns his opponents, he avoids them, he is good with the ball, he likes to travel with it.
“He's starting to reach that potential when he went to Chelsea for huge amounts of money (£75 million).
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“I think Fofana deserves recognition for his performances.”
4. Micky van de Ven – Tottenham
“A few words here for the Spurs, They come from come He's another player who I really think has caught the eye.
“I think he has to be in the mix as one of the best central defenders we have seen this season.
“His rhythm, I would wonder why does he have to use that rhythm so often?
“He's tearing his hamstring, so maybe they could tighten it up a little bit, but it really caught the eye.”
3. John Stones – Manchester City
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“Juan Piedras He is a player who is now showing me more how important he is for city man.
“The way he plays, he is a leader, the goals he scores in vital moments for his club.
“They've drifted away a little bit, but it's certainly not their fault.”
2. William Saliba – Arsenal
“Saliba has all the class, he just purrs on the pitch, he's like a Rolls Royce.
“Everything is done with great restraint, his temperament never gets too upset.
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“Now he is reading the game well and coming out with the ball.
“So it's very classy.”
1. Ibrahima Konate – Liverpool
“What I see in Liverpool is that Konate is being quite outstanding, he has probably got ahead of him.” Van Dijk.
“The way he approaches people, his mobility, his confidence, every area of the game, he looks pretty impressive.
“They have barely conceded goals this season, I know it is a partnership.
“But he seems to be coming out of the shadow in Van Dijk, so Konate is probably the best one for me.”
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