In the final minutes of the match, Liverpool were under fierce pressure when they won a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Everton. The ball was passed to Ryan Gravenberch as the midfielder was holding back deep in his own half. He calmly controlled and passed to Mohamed Salah, and in just a few seconds, Liverpool approached the opponent's goal.
That was not the most outstanding moment in Gravenberch's performance. However, it further reinforces an undeniable fact that he has become an irreplaceable link of Liverpool.
The Dutch midfielder was a less notable signing when he arrived at Anfield from Bayern Munich for £34 million in 2022. At this time, he has risen to the same level as captain Virgil van Dijk and Salah as a pillar in the Liverpool machine under Arne Slot.
At the age of 23, Gravenberch continued to prove his worth in the Merseyside derby. He opened the scoring with a classy finish, before assisting Hugo Ekitike to double the gap for the home team.
With that performance, Gravenberch became the youngest player to both score and assist Liverpool in a Merseyside derby in the Premier League. He also ended the match as the team's leader in recoveries (7) and second in successful passes (47).
After the break, Gravenberch did not have many opportunities to attack as Everton increased the pressure and narrowed the gap with a beautiful finish by Idrissa Gueye. However, the Dutch midfielder is still a reliable blocker in midfield. He has helped The Kop maintain a perfect record in the Premier League with 5 absolute wins since the beginning of the season.
In fact, Gravenberch's excellent but quiet performance did not surprise Liverpool fans. Last season, only Salah and Van Dijk played more minutes than him in Arne Slot's squad on the journey to the Premier League championship.
From only starting 12 matches in the first season under Jurgen Klopp, Gravenberch has risen to become a mainstay in the role of deep-lying midfielder. Liverpool's failure to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad - a player who joined Arsenal in the summer transfer window of 2025 - further opens up an opportunity for Gravenberch to affirm his key role.
The goal against Everton was a clear testament to his impressive form. Gravenberch's dangerous volleyball defeated Jordan Pickford and helped Liverpool break the deadlock early. Not long after, Gravenberch continued to leave his mark when he assisted Ekitike to double the gap, putting the home team in a 2-0 lead after only 29 minutes of play.
However, despite the encroachment, Arne Slot's team once again could not finish off their opponents. They paid the price right before the break when Gueye beat Alisson Becker, giving David Moyes' team hope.
Unlike previous intense matches, Liverpool did not need a late goal to win this time. They stood firm to maintain a fragile gap.
However, their continued loss of advantage is still a concern. This was the fourth match this season that Liverpool have led by 2 goals but have not kept a clean sheet. That is even more remarkable when compared to Arsenal, who have only conceded 1 goal in all competitions since the beginning of the season.
However, Liverpool have just gone through 7 stressful days with 3 matches and won all of them. They are still firmly at the top of the Premier League table, largely thanks to Gravenberch's persistent contributions in midfield.
"May not be on the pitch, but on the pitch, he really likes to get noticed. I was going to take him off after 60 minutes, but we conceded.
I think people often pay attention to Gravenberch for his attacks, but I also see the way he moves without the ball, as well as the lot of support for Conor Bradley" - Arne Slot commented.
Having not scored in the Premier League last season, Gravenberch has now scored twice in the league this season. These numbers reflect a player at his peak, playing under the guidance of a coach who knows how to fully exploit his comprehensive skill set.
