Celebration at Anfield: the super substitute erases Konaté from Liverpool's memory

Liverpool are purring over the stunning start made by new signing Jeremie Jacquet. The 21-year-old French defender arrived from Rennes as the long-term answer to Ibrahima Konate's departure, and he has hit the ground running.

Konate left for Real Madrid on a free transfer last summer, having produced a string of notable performances in the Premier League.

Within weeks, the local Liverpool press were showering the youngster with praise for his exceptional form.

The Liverpool Echo hailed his composed display, singling him out as one of the few players to walk off the Anfield pitch with his head held high after last Saturday's match against Fulham.

The newspaper added: "The most distinctive thing about Jacquet is his calm nerves. To adapt this easily within a team going through a transitional phase and to compensate for Ibrahima Konate is a remarkable achievement for a player who turned 21 this summer."

It stated: "He is much better than Konate was at the same age, and from what we have seen, he has all the makings of a great player."

This is Anfield struck a similar note, insisting Jacquet has done far more than impress with his solid defending. He has also chipped in with attacking contributions beyond anything offered by the midfield duo of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai.

On the ball, the French defender has shown real composure, a quality the team had been missing since Konate left. That has made him indispensable to Liverpool's line-up.