By common consensus, Ryan Gravenberch has been one of Liverpool’s best players this season, and a big reason as to why the Reds are in a dominant position in the Premier League title race two-thirds of the way through the campaign.
After an abortive year at Bayern Munich, the Dutch midfielder struggled to establish himself in his first 12 months at Anfield, making just 12 top-flight starts under Jurgen Klopp, who infamously castigated the midfielder on the touchline for failing to track back for one of Arsenal’s goal in a 3-1 defeat last February.
There was even speculation over a possible loan move to Galatasaray last summer as LFC fans eagerly anticipated the arrival of Martin Zubimendi, only for the Spaniard to decide that he’d rather remain at Real Sociedad.
While many Liverpool supporters were bemoaning a perceived gaping hole at the base of midfield as the season began, Arne Slot unflinchingly trusted in Gravenberch to do that job in the team. Six months on, that faith has been more than justified, with the apparent gamble paying off like a winning bet from the best casinos UK on the website legalcasino.uk.
The 22-year-old has combined the diligent off-the-ball work required of a number 6 with a masterful intelligence in possession, and his statistics from the campaign so far reflect that.
Ryan Gravenberch statistics from 2024/25
As per FBref, no Reds player has made more interceptions (46) or drawn more free kicks (36) than the Dutchman this term, while Ibrahima Konate is the only outfielder with a better rate of aerial duels won than his 75%.
Only three players to have started for LFC in the league this season have a superior pass completion rate to his 89.4%, and the same rings true in terms of successful take-ons, of which Gravenberch has had 24.
It’s therefore no wonder that Slot has selected his fellow Dutchman so consistently, with only him, Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah starting all 26 of Liverpool’s Premier League games so far. The long-serving duo have already surpassed 3,000 minutes in all competitions, and the 22-year-old is just five away from hitting that threshold.
However, the former Ajax maestro hasn’t been his usual self in recent games against Everton, Wolves and Aston Villa, with a particularly subdued display against the latter as he looked distinctly fatigued, notably not closing down for Youri Tielemans’ goal on the stroke of half-time.
Does Gravenberch need a breather?
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that Gravenberch is showing signs of tiredness. He’s played the entirety of six out of our eight top-flight matches since the start of January, as well as the full 180 minutes of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham.
Could the 22-year-old benefit from having a breather from forthcoming fixtures, given how leggy he’s understandably looked of late? Possibly, although Slot would surely be reluctant to pull him from crucial games against high-quality opposition.
If there’s one positive to take from Liverpool’s FA Cup humiliation against Plymouth Argyle earlier this month, it’s that the entire squad will have a free weekend at the beginning of March. That could be the recharge that the Dutch midfielder seems to need at this moment.