"Don’t let this Nunez brace distract you", "Won’t get the praise" - Fans salute 25-year-old Liverpool star for '10/10' display in 2-0 win at Brentford

Fans were impressed with Ibrahima Konate’s performance during Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, January 18. The Frenchman helped the Reds keep a clean sheet as they secured a last-gasp 2-0 victory over Thomas Frank’s men.

After dropping points against Nottingham Forest in midweek, Liverpool had to get back to winning ways to solidify their position atop the league table. However, the Merseyside club seemed destined for another frustrating draw as the scoreline remained goalless after the first 45 minutes.

Arne Slot’s men continued to mount up the pressure after the restart, but the hosts proved a hard nut to crack until 90 minutes. Determined to get the three points, the visitors finally opened the deadlock one minute into the stoppage time.

Substitute Darwin Nunez put the Reds ahead, slotting home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cutback. Liverpool and Nunez weren’t done either, as the Uruguayan striker added a second two minutes later to seal the victory.

While Darwin Nunez proved to be the hero for the Reds, Ibrahima Konate’s efforts in the heart of defense didn’t go under the radar. The French defender made five clearances, registered two key passes, had 92% accurate passes.

After the match, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to heap praise on him.

"Don’t let this Nunez brace distract you from Konate’s 10/10 performance," an X user wrote.

Another tweeted:

''He won’t get the praise but fuck me Konaté was world class. A 10/10 pure defensive performance. Without him, we get bullied tonight. What a man''

''Konate has been absolutely unbelievable. I'd back him 1v1 with prime Mbappe'' another wrote

''Konate one of the only bright sparks today. Holding myself back from exploding'' another added

''Konate is a top, top defender. What a player. He’s absolutely perfect.'' a fan chimed in

''3 points, 2-0 Nunez x2.... Konate best player on the pitch.. Boom'' another raved

''VVD and Konate collossal. Give Konate vice if Trent goes'' another fan wrote

"We were close to not getting what we deserved" - Arne Slot after Liverpool's win over Brentford

Arne Slot expressed relief that his side emerged victorious against Brentford in his comments after the game. The Bees had done a brilliant job of thwarting the Reds' attacks until the 90th minute before Nunez came up trumps for his side.

After the match, Slot said (via the BBC):

"We were close to not getting what we deserved. The amount of chances we created was like on Tuesday against Forest - a lot. We were close to going off without a win. That combined with a late winner is what we were most happy about. And it was a significant game."

The Dutch tactician also praised Nunez for his impact off the bench, stating:

"He's always having a lot of impact when he comes in. Brings energy and power. Most of our games are the last half hour in control around 18 yards, and that's where he's at his best. The first hour is often open but the last 30 minutes dominant. Then to have someone like Darwin is nice to have."

Liverpool will next be in action against Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday.