Joe Gomez or Ibrahima Konate? – What stats say on Virgil van Dijk’s best partner

With Ibrahima Konate facing doubts over his future along with his fitness, Joe Gomez could be reunited with Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool’s centre-back partnership.

Konate could be set to miss Sunday’s return to action against Man United having picked up a quad injury last time out which thwarted his involvement for France.

With Giovanni Leoni ruled out with a season-ending ACL tear, it could see Arne Slot turn to Gomez alongside Van Dijk for the 4.30pm kickoff.

Given Konate’s shaky form of late and the looming uncertainty over his contract, there have already been calls for Gomez – who has rested over the international break – to replace him as a regular starter.

That begs the question: which of the two has a better record alongside the Liverpool captain?

We have crunched the numbers based on appearances of 45 minutes or more next to Van Dijk at centre-back – in other words, not including Gomez’s many outings at right-back, left-back or even as a No. 6.

Who is Van Dijk’s best partner?

In truth, there is little to separate Gomez and Konate in terms of the numbers.

While Gomez’s win rate alongside Van Dijk is superior, Konate has played 40 more games as the Dutchman’s partner and they average more points per game together.

There has been a growing rhetoric that Gomez is becoming more of a liability when used at centre-back, with a poor performance next to Leoni in the Carabao Cup victory over Southampton used as an example.

But he is unbeaten in seven games as Van Dijk’s centre-back partner since their most recent loss – which was the 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid in the Champions League in February 2023.

That seven-game run included the 2-0 win over Man City at Anfield which saw Gomez fill in for the injured Konate flawlessly.

However it is no fluke that both Jurgen Klopp and now Slot have stuck with Konate as Van Dijk’s first-choice partner – he has proved very reliable in terms of form, fitness and his understanding with the No. 4.

Neither match up to Van Dijk’s all-time best centre-back partner, of course: Joel Matip boasts a higher win rate (70.6%) and points-per-game average (2.29) as well as a significantly lower loss rate (12%).

Despite the narrative around Konate at present, combined with the loss of Leoni, Liverpool can be considered fortunate to have such proven strength at centre-back.

If Gomez is required to fill in for the Frenchman, there should be no concern – and it could even be that he earns an extended run in the side.