Liverpool put in one of the worst performances of Arne Slot's managerial reign in a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, which highlighted several problems the Dutchman needs to address, including Ryan Gravenberch.
Erling Haaland's excellent header (29'), Nico Gonzalez's fine strike (45+3') and Jeremy Doku's goal of the season contender (63') handed the Reds their fifth defeat of the Premier League campaign. The defending champions are quickly giving up their crown, and the jubilation of last season's title victory feels a lifetime ago.
So too did the stunning start to the season made by Gravenberch, who was earning plaudits as one of the best midfielders in Europe until the Merseysiders' wheels fell off in late September. He's come out of form since a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, which ignited a terrible run for Slot's side.
Man City 3-0 Liverpool: Gravenberch's Stumble Going Under The Radar
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Gravenberch earned comparisons to Arsenal's Declan Rice and Chelsea's Moises Caicedo when he starred in Liverpool's five-game winning streak at the very start of the season. He was on target in a 3-2 win over Newcastle United and a 2-1 victory against Merseyside rivals Everton.
The 23-year-old came off the boil once Slot's men tasted their first defeat of the season away to Palace, and he hasn't been the same player since the trip to Selhurst Park. He was noticeably quiet at the Etihad, and that's a real headache for his manager, who will have been desperate for his fellow countryman to remain consistent.
Gravenberch, whom Liverpool Echobelieve put in a 5/10 performance, was left chasing shadows on many occasions against City, whose dominance left him little chance to impact the game. His fellow Alexis Mac Allister has been on the receiving end of criticism as of late, but it's unfair not to call out the Dutchman for his standards dropping in such a high-profile match.
Slot's midfield was second-best throughout at the Etihad, and that is a real problem ahead of this week's international break, with a growing list of issues. There's no hiding away from Florian Wirtz's disastrous start to his career with the Reds, coming nowhere close to living up to his £116 million price tag.
Wirtz over Wharton? Liverpool's Recruitment Under The Microscope
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Liverpool entered the season having enjoyed, for many, one of the best transfer windows of any Premier League club in history. The Reds overhauled a title-winning squad with new faces who had shined at their respective clubs before arriving at Anfield.
One of those was Wirtz, handed a 5/10 rating by Liverpool Echo for his Etihad exploits, who initially became the club's club record signing when he joined Slot's side in July after last season's title winners saw off competition from Bayern Munich. He was one of Europe's most in-demand playmakers, having thrived under Xabi Alonso, including during an unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning season with 11 goals and 12 assists in 32 games.
But 11 games into his debut Premier League campaign with the Reds, he hasn't registered a single goal contribution and has settled for a place on Slot's bench on more than one occasion. But was the addition of an attacking midfielder such as Wirtz that important?
Perhaps a new holding midfielder should have been targeted ahead of the German because the club don't have many Gravenberch alternatives if their Dutchman comes out of form. There was a clear need for an injection of new energy in the middle of the park at the Etihad but no viable replacement on the bench.
"Wirtz had the chance between Munich and Liverpool. He said to Liverpool, 'I'll come to you if I play number 10 - I do not want to play wide. To get him, Liverpool said OK. So they destroyed their midfield, because their midfield was Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai" — Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Adam Wharton
Reports have claimed that the Reds are eyeing Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, who is one of English football's rising stars and tipped to become one of the very best defensive midfielders in world football. Slot may have been better off splashing the cash on the 21-year-old rather than Wirtz or at least prioritize the English starlet or a similar profile before turning to the German attacker.