Ryan Gravenberch On Early Season Form: “I Think I’m Doing Really Well”
The Dutch midfielder has been the surprise of the season so far for Liverpool, earning Man of the Match plaudits in the win over Wolves.
Liverpool have enjoyed a strong start to the season under new head coach Arne Slot, sitting atop the Premier League table after the opening six fixtures. There were plenty of questions ahead of the season, most notably who would play in the holding midfield role under Slot?
While the club looked externally to Martin Zubimendi in an attempt to answer the question, it was a surprise internal candidate, Ryan Gravenberch, who has made the spot his own. The Dutch midfielder has proven to be a perfect fit for the role, displaying consistently imperious form from the first match on.
Gravenberch was again an essential and influential figure in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Wolves. On a day when the squad as a whole was sloppy and out of sorts, Gravenberch put up a statistical performance not seen in over a decade.
2012 - Yesterday, Ryan Gravenberch was the first Premier League midfielder to contest more than 5 duels in a match with 100% success (8), make 3+ tackles with 100% success (3), and make 50+ passes at 90%+ accuracy (57/62) since Sandro for Spurs v Blackburn in April 2012. Elite. pic.twitter.com/0WzFD13stH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 29, 2024
For his efforts, Gravenberch was awarded the Man of the Match award. In his post-match interview, the midfielder spoke about the confidence given him by head coach Arne Slot, and how that has translated into his play.
“Of course, this season I want to show myself again. think I’m [going] in the right way. I have to keep going. I’m happy.”
“He [Arne Slot] just put me in the starting XI and gave me a lot of confidence – and you see it. I think I’m doing really well.”
Gravenberch is quite right about feeling he is doing really well. He has been sensational for the Reds, both from a defensive standpoint, as well as for his ball progression from deeper areas. He currently is at the top of the league in almost all of the relevant statistical categories.
Ryan Gravenberch vs Premier League midfielders in 2024/25
— DataMB (@DataMB_) September 21, 2024
◎ Forward passes — 1st
◎ Accelerations — 1st
◎ Progressive runs — 2nd
◎ Passes — 3rd
◎ Interceptions — 4th
◎ Defensive actions — 5th
◎ Defensive duels won, % — 5th
Top 7 League profile :… https://t.co/hSM9M7h6kk pic.twitter.com/zuMN5UImKq
Gravenberch’s hot start has been a big part of why Liverpool sit on top of the table thus far. The midfielder knows, however, that this is just the beginning, and there is a long way to go to meet the squad’s goals.
“Of course, I think a team like Liverpool always has to be in the top four, for sure. We keep pushing and keep pushing, but it’s still really early.”
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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