Chris Sutton: 'Naby Keita has cost Liverpool a couple of points'

Liverpool expect more from Naby Keita, according to former Chelsea and Blackburn forward Chris Sutton who believes the midfielder's showing against West Ham 'cost Liverpool a couple of points'.

The 23-year-old has struggled to impress since joining the Reds last summer from German Bundesliga side RB Leipzig for £50 million.

On Monday, the midfielder delivered another uninspiring performance in their 1-1 stalemate with the Hammers.

Keita failed to track Michail Antonio properly who equalised from a clever free-kick situation. And the 45-year-old has expressed displeasure at the performance of the Guinea player.

“So, you’d have expected your players, you’re talking about experienced enough players, to switch on. Keita was the one who switched off in terms of the free kick,” Sutton said on 5Live.

“That’s a poor individual error and if you want to win titles, and you have a team as strong as Manchester City who you’re competing with, you can’t afford those errors.

“You expect more from Keita and that is the difference with Liverpool.”

“That one error, that one moment from Keita switching off, has cost Liverpool a couple of points.

“They paid a lot of money for Keita so on that basis you’re asking somebody to do their job in that moment when the free kick was materialising and it was popped to [Robert] Snodgrass and at the point he’s making the pass, Antonio had already made his run but Keita has to see that.

“I don’t understand how he doesn’t see that really. It’s a poor error of judgement from a player who he invested a lot of money in!”

Liverpool have now been pushed to the second spot in the log by Manchester City who defeated Everton 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Keita has made 18 league appearances this season for the side and, if given another chance, will hope to win over his critics when they play host to Bournemouth on Saturday.