Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk hailed Fabinho as his man of the match as they beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Sadio Mane scooped the official man of the match award after his second-half double ensured the Reds downed Frank Lampard’s ten-men.
But it was defensively that Van Dijk was delighted with their display as they overcame their shaky start against Leeds United to claim a clean sheet.
And he was particularly happy with Fabinho, who partnered him at the heart of defence with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip injured.
Fabinho kept Chelsea new boy Timo Werner quiet with a fine display - and Van Dijk felt he deserved man of the match instead of Mane as a result.
When asked about Fabinho’s performance against Chelsea after the game, Van Dijk told LFC TV: “Outstanding.
“I just told him as well I think he was man of the match today.
“To keep a striker like Werner, don’t let him score, a bit unlucky with the penalty incident, but overall he was outstanding.
“Everyone knows how good he is.
Was Fabinho Liverpool's Man of the Match against Chelsea? Have your say here.
“But it shows also that we need everyone.
“We were a bit unlucky with the injuries now but hopefully everyone comes back, it’s going to be such a long season.”
After the game, manager Jurgen Klopp also praised Fabinho and suggested he would have been in the running for man of the match if not for Mane's goals.
"If Sadio wouldn't have scored two goals, I think Fab would be a proper contender for man of the match," the Liverpool manager told a news conference.
"I loved his performance, he played outstanding. He helped us a lot with the ball and in defending as well, so yes, a proper performance."
Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.
