Ryan Gravenberch Provides Creative Spark for Liverpool

Ryan Gravenberch has provided Liverpool with an early demonstration of his creative skills by doing something no Reds player has done in 10 years. The Dutchman made his second start for the club in the 3-1 win over Leicester in Wednesday’s League Cup opener, following his £38.5 million deadline-day move from Bayern Munich.

In doing so, he became the first Liverpool player to notch an assist in his first two starts since Jordon Ibe in August 2013, as per Opta‘s Michael Reid. Gravenberch completed the feat by providing for Cody Gakpo to level the scoring against the Foxes, having gone behind to an early Kasey McAteer strike.

His assist in his debut start came as he set up Luis Diaz to put Liverpool in front in their first Europa League group stage game against LASK.

Jordon Ibe Last Player to Achieve Assist Feat 10 Years Ago

You would have to go back 10 years to find a Liverpool player who has done the same, with Ibe assisting Philippe Coutinho in Jamie Carragher’s final game at Anfield against QPR back in May 2013. His second start came the following season, when he set up Jordan Henderson in a League Cup tie against Notts County that August – a game the Reds went on to win 4-2 with the help of extra time.

Gravenberch’s Role Within Side Remains Uncertain

Gravenberch’s role within the side remains somewhat uncertain after failed summer pursuits of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo led to the signing of Wataru Endo. The 21-year-old was seen as a ‘multi-functional’ alternative in the middle of the park and described himself as a “box-to-box” player upon arriving at the club.

He will be hoping to continue to be a creative force for his team-mates as he looks to carve out a regular place in Jurgen Klopp‘s side in the coming months. Gravenberch left the German champions in search of more consistent minutes, but faces stiff competition from the likes of fellow newcomers Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai if he is to feature in the No. 8 position.

Conclusion

Ryan Gravenberch has already demonstrated his creative spark for Liverpool and will be hoping to continue to provide assists for his team-mates as he looks to carve out a regular place in Jurgen Klopp’s side. He faces stiff competition from fellow newcomers Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for the No. 8 position, but if he can continue to provide creative sparks for his team-mates, he will be sure to make an impact at Anfield.