Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, whose early goal in a 1-0 win knocked the Reds for six under the bright lights of Anfield on Tuesday night – and fans are beginning to turn on one of Arne Slot’s go-to men.
All of Liverpool’s hard work from the first leg was seemingly undone when a defensive mix-up saw Ousmane Dembele add yet another strike to his 2024/25 tally and PSG, led by Luis Enrique, were able to see them off via a penalty shootout.
Despite being atop of the Premier League standings, 15 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal, the Merseysiders will feel disappointed over their premature exit from Europe’s top table and Ryan Gravenberch is getting the brunt of the criticism.
Gravenberch’s Worrying Display vs PSG in Numbers
Across 120 minutes, he enjoyed just 59 touches
ryan gravenberch
Interestingly, it has been his compatriot Slot who has been behind his resurgence. Once a bright prospect at Ajax and Bayern Munich, former custodian Jurgen Klopp was unable to get the best out of him – but Slot has him firing on all cylinders.
Gravenberch, who has accrued north of 3,000 minutes of action since the 2024/25 campaign got underway, lined up alongside Alexis Mac Allister against PSG – but his tally of 3/10 ground duels won, combined with losing possession on 13 different occasions, proves he wasn't at the races.
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Across the entire 120 minutes, the 18-cap Netherlands international enjoyed a mere 59 touches (a tally dwarfed by his PSG counterpart, Vitihna) and was successful in 84% (37/44) of his passing. Not only that, but only half of his long balls (1/2) were accurate and his dribbling, which is typically strong, was not at its best – as evidenced by his rate of 0% (0/2).
Statistics aside, a concern over Gravenberch’s display was how leggy he looked. Perennially used by Slot and his entourage in the Liverpool engine room, the fact that he seldom has a moment to rest is beginning to show in the business end of proceedings.
Fans Implore Slot to Address Gravenberch Issue
'Gravenberch has been sleeping for a few months now'
But the glittering relationship between Gravenberch and Slot has also begun to cause issues and that’s been highlighted on X. His rest – or lack thereof – allowed the PSG midfielders of Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves to run riot, one fan insinuated.
We need a real 6 in the summer. Gravenberch is great but he’s an 8. You can just tell by watching this match how easy it is for PSG to run through our midfield.
Another supporter has described the Dutchman, a player who is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football, as ‘frustrating’ to watch. “Gravenberch is so frustrating to watch in this team. He looks lost.”
On the 22-year-old’s downturn in performances of late, another fan of the Anfield-based outfit has insisted the looked ‘far too slow’ against a youthful PSG midfield by writing: “Gravenberch has been sleeping for a few months now, looks far too slow.”