View: 84% Liverpool ace Ryan Gravenberch proves Arne Slot right v Manchester United
Liverpool ace Ryan Gravenberch has proved an Arne Slot decision correct with his performance during the Reds’ 3-0 win against Manchester United on 1 September.
The Netherlands international has been heavily relied upon to partner Alexis Mac Allister in midfield since Slot took over as Liverpool’s manager.
The summer transfer window has now closed but one of the main stories of the Merseyside club’s window was the fact that they didn’t sign a number six.
However, Slot backed this decision up and named Gravenberch as one of the players he’ll rely upon across the season to cover that role.
Although it’s still early days, so far the midfielder alongside the vast majority of his teammates have performed incredibly well and his game against United was no different.
Ryan Gravenberch starred for Liverpool vs Manchester United
Liverpool are on something of a roll this season. The Reds have managed to win all three of their top-flight clashes and currently sit in second place.
Manchester City are the team that sits ahead of them but both sides have the same goal difference which bodes well for Slot’s men.
The Dutchman’s arrival has resulted in a change of tactics for the Merseyside outfit which seems to have worked in Gravenberch’s favour.
This is proven by statistics from Sofascore which outline why the 22-year-old was one of the best players on the pitch last Sunday despite not contributing to a goal.
He played the full 90 minutes and managed a total of 61 touches throughout the match. Of the 44 passes he attempted throughout the game, 84 per cent of them found a team-mate.
Although zero of the aforementioned passes were deemed as ‘key passes’, that wasn’t his role in the team over the weekend as it’s defensive numbers that really make the 22-year-old stand out.
Throughout the entirety of the clash, Gravenberch attempted 10 duels both aerially and ground and managed to win 70 per cent of them. He did lose possession a total of 11 times but none of those mistakes led to shots or goals.
In terms of things such as defensive clearances and interceptions, the former Ajax man managed to outperform United ace Casemiro quite significantly.
How Ryan Gravenberch compared to Casemiro during the match
Casemiro was one of the Red Devils’ marquee transfers last term after arriving at the club for a reported fee of around £60million [Sky Sports].
So, despite the two having the same amount of clearances (one) in all other categories, the Brazilian was outclassed.
Gravenberch made four interceptions whilst Casemiro made none and in terms of tackles, the Netherlands international managed to double that of Casemiro (two) which shows his dominance on the pitch.
Although many fans believed that the Reds needed to bring in reinforcements for their number six role, it feels as if Gravenberch has proven the doubters wrong and could become a key cog in Slot’s system.
Only time will tell whether his form will continue across the season but one thing is for sure, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him starting week in and week out until he becomes faultless, unlike Diogo Jota who could face the axe after his poor performance against United.
In other Liverpool news, an update has been provided on the future of Mohamed Salah.
For more Liverpool women news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.