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EPL Premier League Action Ryan Gravenberch felt like he was a marked man at the end of last season. Having been so influential in Liverpool’s relentless march towards the Premier League, opponents increasingly targeted him at the base of Arne Slot’s midfield. It was a compliment as they tried to stop him from pulling the strings. Advertisement The Netherlands international’s contribution to the title triumph in a deeper role was huge. He started 37 out of 38 league matches, only missing May’s trip to Chelsea when he was rested after the league trophy had been secured. He was crowned Premier League Young Player of the Season and named in the PFA Team of the Year. However, the fact that he didn’t find the net in 49 appearances across all competitions in 2024-25 was a source of personal frustration. He even joked about asking Mohamed Salah if he could take on penalty duties. Opportunities to score had been limited, given his primary role was to stay deep and provide defensive cover when Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai ventured forward. But the evolution of Slot’s Liverpool has led to Gravenberch being afforded greater freedom. He is off the leash, enabling the 23-year-old to show how he really is the full package. His match-winning contribution to Saturday’s win against Everton not only extended his flying start to the campaign but reinforced the belief that he is the most complete midfielder in England’s top flight. He became the youngest Liverpool player in the Premier League era to both score and assist a goal in the same Merseyside derby. “Ryan is unbelievable, ” raved captain Virgil van Dijk. “He’s very important to the way we play. You can see the number of times I try to look for him. It benefits him, me and the team. “He’s in incredible shape, in the form of his life. He has to keep going. He’s still so young. The expectation level will always be right up there and that’s what he has to try to reach every three or four days. It’s a nice challenge. ” Having gone 16 months without a Premier League goal, Gravenberch now boasts two in the space of four matches. If his sweetly struck, long-range effort away to Newcastle United was impressive, this one against Everton was even better. There was so much to admire — the timing of the run to exploit the space between Everton’s two centre-backs, the lofted delivery from Salah and the sublime hooked right-footed finish beyond Jordan Pickford. He hadn’t scored at Anfield since the 5-2 win against Norwich City in the FA Cup fourth round in January 2024. Advertisement “‘Macca’ can obviously cover the ‘No 6’ (deep midfield) position at times, ” explained Van Dijk. “And because they try to go a bit man-v-man in the midfield, you have to try to take your marker away. Ryan did that outstandingly well. It was a great goal. ” Gravenberch then created the second goal for Hugo Ekitike with a weighted pass into the same area. It wasn’t a one-off: he made the most line-breaking passes in the game (10), with four of those coming in the final third. The former Ajax prodigy provides silk and steel. Most of his touches were in his own half, and he won seven of his 11 duels and made five tackles. Yet he also completed 47 of his 56 passes (84 per cent): so elegant and composed, his greatest quality is arguably how he uses his body to outwit opponents and manoeuvre his way out of tight spaces. “This season I want more goals and assists, ” Gravenberch told TNT Sports. “It’s the coach that gives me the confidence. Last season, I was only on the No 6, like deep, deep. Now I can go more forward, which you saw today. My strength is also there. I’m happy with that. ” The arrival of Gravenberch at Anfield represented the final part of Liverpool’s extensive midfield rebuild in the summer of 2023, and what a deal it’s proved to be. Bayern Munich must be kicking themselves that they allowed such a special talent to leave for just £34million ($46m at current rates) after giving him only three starts in the Bundesliga in 2022-23. He’s now worth at least three or four times that figure. “Yeah, but during his first season here, he hardly played either, ” added Van Dijk, a reference to the modest tally of 12 Premier League starts Gravenberch made in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the helm. “It’s a mix of everything. Getting confidence, progressing and improving as a player, playing games at the highest level and your role in the team. I’m very pleased for him because he puts in a lot of hard work to do what he’s doing today. ” Advertisement Gravenberch, who became a father last month, feels that he has benefited from taking Van Dijk’s advice regarding ice baths, saunas, diet and sleep to help rest and recovery between games. He has also been grateful for the input of Liverpool’s director of medicine and performance, Jonathan Power, and head of physical performance Conall Murtagh for helping to ensure he is durable and robust. Circumstances have played a part in his rise to such prominence. He was Slot’s Plan B for the No 6 position last summer after Martin Zubimendi opted not to join the club from Real Sociedad. Liverpool were subsequently offered Manuel Ugarte before he moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester United, but shrewdly opted to keep their powder dry. “Maybe not off the pitch but on the pitch, Ryan likes the spotlight, ” Slot said. “He has a bit more freedom now. You constantly try to do different things. You try to keep what’s really good but other teams try to adjust to us as well, so we need to constantly evolve. “I was planning to take him off after 60 minutes but then we conceded a goal. He has taken the spotlight mainly because of the attacking things he does, but I also see how much he runs off the ball, how many times he is there to help out Conor (Bradley) when he is in a two-versus-one situation, and the same for Dominik Szoboszlai. “The number of sprints they make to help Conor, but Mohamed Salah as well. It means we can leave Mo a bit more forward and get the best out of him also. Even without the goals and assists, Ryan would have still played really well. ” Liverpool lost their way in the second half against Everton and endured a nervy finale after Idrissa Gueye halved the deficit. Slot is committed to rotating more often this season but the fact that Gravenberch was out there for 90 minutes for the third time in a week spoke volumes. He is integral to Liverpool. That said, Slot has guaranteed him the night off when Southampton visit in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. The breather for Liverpool’s derby hero is richly deserved. (Top photo: Liverpool FC via Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle James Pearce joins the Athletic after 14 years working for the Liverpool Echo. The dad-of-two has spent the past decade covering the fortunes of Liverpool FC across the globe to give fans the inside track on the Reds from the dressing room to the boardroom. Follow James on Twitter @James Pearce LFC