‘Amazing’ Liverpool player to hand Arne Slot selection headache vs Newcastle
Liverpool travel to Newcastle United next Monday looking to continue their perfect start to the Premier League season.
The Reds started their title defence with a 4-2 win over Bournemouth on 15 August, with Hugo Ekitike impressing on his league debut.
The clash at St James’ Park on 25 August will be even more tense considering all the noise surrounding Liverpool’s pursuit of Alexander Isak.
Magpies legend Alan Shearer has raised concerns about Liverpool’s defending in the opener, but Arne Slot may have a solution.
Ryan Gravenberch return could be crucial for Liverpool
Ryan Gravenberch missed Liverpool’s Community Shield loss for personal reasons and was suspended for the Cherries clash.
However, he is free to return against Eddie Howe’s side, which will be a welcome relief for Slot and Co., as he is a calming presence at the base of midfield.
The Dutchman enjoyed a remarkable rise to stardom last season and was heralded by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after the Reds beat his side 2-0 at Anfield in December.
- Gravenberch made 49 appearances in all competitions last season
- Won the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award
- Excelled in a deeper role for Slot
Speaking after the contest, the Spaniard said: “I just say thank you to Bernardo, to Manu, to Rico [Lewis] for playing in a position they’re not used to.
“To fight against Gravenberch. Gravenberch is a No.10, how the first control is amazing enough to attack the next line of [Alexis] Mac Allister – an experienced player – of [Dominik] Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and all of the players they have.”
How much have Liverpool missed Gravenberch?
The champions missed Gravenberch’s presence massively as their backline was exposed against Andoni Iraola’s side.
The Dutch star ranked third in the top-flight for interceptions last season, and as the graphic below shows, he is vital at winning duels and gaining possession back.
He also helps to drag the L4 outfit out of tricky situations with his elite ball-carrying abilities, and it will be a huge boost to have him back.
Slot’s side should be a lot more defensively secure with Gravenberch in the deeper role rather than Szoboszlai.
The Hungarian’s ability to cover a lot of ground and press from the number 10 position is wasted when he is covering for the former Bayern Munich star in the number eight role.
The return of Gravenberch should allow him to thrive in that role again, although he will likely have a battle on his hands with Florian Wirtz.
The German can also play on the left flank or as a false nine, so it is a fascinating dilemma for Slot to have to deal with.
One thing is for sure: he will be glad to have Gravenberch back in contention for a difficult game in the North East.
Sign up for the Liverpool News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Liverpool news sent straight to your phone.