TNT Sport’s official X account revealed the dominant stat putting Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch ahead of his Premier League competitions. The 22-year-old once again played a pivotal role for Liverpool in their 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds registered their 10th victory from 11 matches in all competitions after dispatching their London rivals to maintain consistency. Liverpool stumbled after the September international break with their only loss of the season against Nottingham Forest earlier this season.
The Reds used this post-October international break match against Chelsea to prove the Forest loss was an anomaly this season. Liverpool struggled with complacency last season and have shown more composure and efficiency under the new head coach Arne Slot.
Furthermore, the victory against Chelsea also stamps any question about Liverpool finding positive results against a top Premier League side. Liverpool’s failure to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi incurred mockery and questions about their midfield stability in the summer.
Nevertheless, Slot found an answer from within his inherited squad by placing Gravenberch in the number six role this season. The 22-year-old played as a defensive midfielder at his childhood club Ajax but shifted to a more advanced role later.
Gravenberch struggled with relevancy at Bayern Munich as then-Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann favoured German players, enjoying limited game time there. Klopp signed Gravenberch for a bargain price of £34.2m in the summer of 2023 as part of the midfield revamp last season.
The Dutch international struggled to make a significant impact during his first season under Klopp, struggling with nagging injuries. However, Gravenberch has enjoyed the number six role under Slot with the new tactics favoring his strengths and improving weaknesses.
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According to Football on TNT Sports via X, Gravenberch has won more possession (48) than any other Premier League midfielder. Many questioned the 22-year-old’s ability to enjoy his early season form against a stronger opponent and he proved them wrong against Chelsea.