Liverpool have so far been one of the most impressive teams in the Premier League as they sit top of the standings after the first seven matches.
Arne Slot is overseeing a smooth transition from Jurgen Klopp’s legendary era, and Ryan Gravenberch’s early form has made him one of their best players so far.
The Dutchman’s impact has been so significant that his Liverpool career is now transformed from a squad player last season into an all-action midfielder under Slot.
Such is his impact that Gravenberch has been nominated for the September Premier League Player of the Month award.
With that in mind, the FootballCastle takes a closer look at the Liverpool man’s turnaround with his compatriot in charge.
Gravenberch moved to Merseyside from Bayern Munich for £35million last summer and he started only 12 Premier League matches as they sought a long-term solution to the central midfield position. However, the 22-year-old returned from Euro 2024 to renewed fortunes under his new head coach who deployed him in a deeper position than he is used to.
The midfielder emerged at Ajax as a more aggressive ball carrier, but Slot is utilizing his physicality and press resistance to great effect in the number six role.
That plan has proved a masterstroke because whenever Gravenberch receives the ball, opponents are never quite sure whether to press him or to sit off and eliminate passing angles.
Ryan the orchestrator
His range of passing makes him a delight to watch in the role as he zips passes forward to allow attacking teammates to create overloads in possession. Gravenberch’s dribbling ability also helps him to pirouette away from opponents in tight spaces.
Gravenberch is quickly becoming a Liverpool fan favourite thanks to his superb performances this season, and rightly so.
The midfielder has the highest on-ball value (0.96) of any deep-lying midfielder in the league this season. This metric is derived for dribbles and carries and Gravenberch ranks above Mateo Kovacic (0.94) and Adam Wharton (0.72) in that regard.
The 14-cap international also carries the ball at an average of 5.58 metres, behind only Kovacic at 5.59m.
Statistics suggest Gravenberch is excelling under pressure, and the eye test backs it up as he often receives the ball with his back to goal and regardless of opponents pressing him aggressively, he either spins his marker or plays a simple pass to get out of trouble.
On the other end of the spectrum, Gravenberch excels off the ball with 69 ball recoveries per 90 while he is in the top percentile for running speed and sprints per game. It is certainly a good sign that Gravenberch tops the charts for most of the key midfield metrics despite learning a new position.
Gravenberch has lifted the lid on how his positional change came about: “When I first spoke with the coach he said to me: ‘I see you as a No.8 like last season, but I want to try you as a No.6 as well’… I said to him: ‘Of course, we can do it!’ and the rest is history.” He told Liverpool’s media channels. “To be honest as an eight you are more attacking and not a lot of defending. But the defending part I do also really well, so I impress myself a little bit.”
“Back in the days when I played with Ajax in the youth [team] I didn’t like to defend! I didn’t like that much. But now when you take off the ball from another player it’s like: ‘Yes, I have it!’ I want to take the next one and the next one again. I enjoy it.”
The young midfielder is clearly enjoying the regular playing time in a new role, and that is partly thanks to those closest to him on the pitch.
Midfield synergy
Gravenberch has been deployed as part of a double pivot alongside Alexis Mac Allister, with Dominik Szoboszlai operating in the attacking midfield role behind the striker. The Argentine will be pleased with more freedom to attack, having had to cover in the deeper role during his debut season.
Both experienced performers have massively helped Gravenberch settle into his duties as they aggressively press off the ball and offer passing options when he gets in possession.
“I know Dom [Szoboszlai] and Alexis [Mac Allister] really well. If you play often with them, you know the quality of them and then – I don’t know the word for it – but when Mac Allister goes higher, I have to come on, so we know from each other what the other guys are going to do. We know everything from each other [and] also now we play a lot of games together.”
Gravenberch’s assessment of his midfield partners characterizes the way they have helped each other out in different phases of play.
Oftentimes, a full-back also inverts to provide numerical support to Gravenberch in central areas of the pitch to aid ball progression, while it offers defensive security against transitions.
Nevertheless, his manager has been impressed with Gravenberch’s defensive strengths, stating: “To be completely honest, that surprised me because I know him from the Dutch league, but Bayern Munich and Jurgen [Klopp] did a real good job to make him also better without the ball, and that’s what we are taking the benefits of right now.
“He’s just very comfortable on the ball, and that helps the team if you want to have a possession-based style of play.”
Gravenberch is the toast of several Liverpool fans right now, and he was equally impressive in the Reds’ 1-0 win over Crystal Palace ahead of the October international break.
He is proving to be the deep-lying playmaker they didn’t know they had after desperately searching for one throughout the summer transfer window. Thus, missing out on Martin Zubimendi is turning out to be a blessing in disguise.
Gravenberch has not only saved his club millions, he is also saving his own career with the Reds. They are on course for success this season with the unassuming giant tidying things up in the middle of the park.
