Paul Merson has admitted that he has been blown away by Liverpool midfielder Fabinho this season.
The Sky Sports pundit believes that the Brazilian international is now one of the first names on the team sheet at Anfield, with his performances continuing to improve in the heart of midfield.
Merson claimed that he wasn’t fully convinced by Fabinho when he first arrived at the club from Monaco, but he has quickly changed his mind with his improved performances in all competitions.
“100%, at first I wasn’t [convinced] when he come from Monaco,” he said on Sky Sports [23/11 2:52 pm].
“Now, I think he’s absolutely outstanding, I think he’s one of the first players on the teamsheet.”
Fabinho scored his first goal of the season in the 3-1 win against Manchester City before the international break, with the 26-year-old having started 10 Premier League games.
OPINION
Merson is definitely spot on with his verdict of Fabinho, with the Brazilian becoming more pivotal to his side every single week. The 26-year-old has perfected the role in holding midfield and is the perfect anchor behind the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson. The midfielder makes it look so simple both on the ball and off of it when defending, with his physicality and pace making him a nightmare for opposition attackers. Fabinho has averaged 2.4 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game according to WhoScored – the most tackles in the entire squad, nearly double the amount of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip combined. Liverpool would be in a much-worst position without Fabinho in the heart of their side, and even though it took him time to settle into the style of the Premier League, he has proved to be a quality signing by Jurgen Klopp and his side.
