“As the gaffer says, the best player in the world is the counter-presser,” Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders pointed out in his pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s third Carabao Cup clash. against Leicester.
Liverpool know Enzo Maresca, the former Manchester City assistant who managed Leicester and guided them to the top of the Championship after their shock spell, will be bold in his approach to Anfield. And sure enough, the Foxes looked to play from the back with almost every kick on goal, prompting a flood of Liverpool pressure.
Leicester would turn the ball over twice in their own penalty area, and only twice on the edge. Liverpool intercepted the ball in advanced positions five times, and made three successful tackles deep in enemy territory.
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Building on all three of its goals, the host won it again shortly after losing it. More importantly, Harvey Elliott raced back to make a sliding challenge after Dominik Szoboszlai’s loose pass, and the ball looped to Jarell Quansah, who hit the line and teed up Diogo Jota with his cut. -back. Watching from the sidelines, Jürgen Klopp would have been delighted.
Another playmaker in action for the Reds, this time on an individual level, is Ryan Gravenberch. The Dutchman set up the equalizer for Cody Gakpo for his second assist in as many starts, a tally only one Reds midfielder – Jordan Henderson (three) – surpassed last season’s total.
There were 3.9 seconds between receiving the pass from Wataru EndÅ and the subsequent release to Gakpo, and in that time, he beat Hamza Choudhury in a trademark feint, cut back after cutting inside, shuffled to the edge of the box , saw his compatriot and pushed the ball into the narrow gap.
It’s a no-nonsense thing, the kind of low-block lock-picking that none of last season’s midfielders had, with the possible exception of Thiago, who was always capable of the final third.
And yet, like last week against LASK in the Europa League, you are left with the feeling that there is more to come despite the assist.
Gravenberch’s involvement in the game was actually quite limited. Among Liverpool’s starters, only Jota (18) has completed fewer passes than his 21, and he is well behind midfield partners EndÅ (47) and Elliott (52). More importantly, he has the fewest touches (33) of any player named in Klopp’s XI.
There was a spell of 10 or so minutes before half-time where Liverpool struggled to build up from the back, knocking it between defenders without making any real progress in pitch. This is when you want to see someone like Gravenberch get a grip on the game by offering himself as a passing option.
After all, as we have seen in his previous clubs and indeed against LASK, his resistance to the press is his greatest weapon. He can quickly turn away from his marker as he takes the ball, opening up space to run and facilitate dangerous attacks.
But here, he is a bit reluctant to stray from his left-sided number eight position to find space, and that means the weapon is hidden in Leicester’s compact shape.
However, if he can combine the progression of the ball from deeper areas and the lethal final third passing into a sustained 90 minute performance, it’s clear that Liverpool have a serious player on their hands this.