Liverpool endured a difficult opening to the Premier League season. Last weekend they played against Bournemouth at Anfield - winning 4-2 in a very entertaining contest. The Reds first went 2-0 up bef...
Liverpool endured a difficult opening to the Premier League season. Last weekend they played against Bournemouth at Anfield - winning 4-2 in a very entertaining contest.
The Reds first went 2-0 up before being pegged back by two Antoine Semenyo strikes. Federico Chiesa and Mo Salah scored late on to ensure the victory for the champions. However the game laid bare some issues in the new Arne Slot setup.
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With so many attacking players in the lineup it appeared the Reds were overrun at times on the counter. Quite often too many players were caught upfield and Arne Slot’s side did not have the numbers in midfield to cope with the Cherries’ threat on the break.
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It’s led to conjecture that Slot’s new system - featuring the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz - will leave the backline dangerously exposed.
Liverpool's unbalanced midfield
With Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister holding the midfield, Liverpool could easily find themselves in trouble. But that is to ignore one BIG issue.
Liverpool will have the tools to cope with anything on the break from this point of the season onwards. That’s because Ryan Gravenberch is back.
The Dutchman missed the Bournemouth game owing to a suspension carried over from the end of the 2024/25 season.
Without him Liverpool lacked a natural No6 against Andoni Iraola’s side but that will all change come Monday when Liverpool face Newcastle at St. James’ Park.
Gravenberch will help us confirms Slot
“At least if he is the same player as he was last season, that could help us a lot,” Slot confirmed on Friday.
“If you just simply look at the second goal we conceded they could just go from one side from the 18-yard box to the other side without being attacked, which was smart because Virgil and Ibou needed to go back because it was a four-versus-two situation.
"I think if you look back at last season and every single time he played, Ryan would have been in that position and for him not being there and us playing with very good players but very attack-minded players, that hurt us in that goal, for example, and that wasn't the first time where we lacked a player in that position on a counter-attack for the other team.
“Normally, if he brings his normal level, it would definitely help us to have him back again.”
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Gravenberch awarded place in team of the year
Gravenberch joined Liverpool as part of their midfield revolution in 2023 from Bayern Munich. It took him a while to get going in a red shirt but became one of the club’s stars having been switched to defensive midfield for 2024/25.
He was named in the PFA Team of the Year last week - underlining his credentials as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
His return should put to bed all the talk about Slot’s teams being overrun as they mount a title defence.
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Category: General Sports
