Merseyside Derby days are traditionally days that are feisty grinds that make for dour – if compelling – gameplay. While today’s match did reflect some of that traditional grit and moments of discomfort, it was a relatively straight-forward victory for the Reds. And given there was no need for a last-gasp goal, perhaps it feels even more relaxed and loose. Either way, let’s take a closer look at what happened in Liverpool’s 5th straight Premier League win.
Winners and Losers
Winners
Ryan Gravenberch All credit to Dominik
Szoboszlai who certainly has a claim to this, but Gravenberch is my early choice for Player of the Season and, on current form, the best midfielder in all of Europe. The Dutchman’s class has long been evident but this season, it feels even more pronounced: dummies when receiving the ball, feints to throw opposing defenders off-balance, managing the middle of the pitch like an all-world player. Today, he provided a sumptuous finish to open the scoring and then provided the key through-ball to Hugo Ekitike for the eventual winner. Undroppable last season in a combination of both performance and lack of depth, Gravenberch has made the early case that his current level makes him simply too good to drop.
Milos Kerkez
We’ll talk a little bit more about the context but Kerkez put in a commendable shift and held Iliman Ndiyae, one of the in-form attackers in the Premier League, to a rather anonymous performance. The guy did more than enough to at least hold the critics at bay.
Hugo Ekitike
Running out of ways to describe how fun it is to watch him lead the line. He’s so active and invites the ball. His ability to turn and face attackers is incredible. And, most crucial, the guy simply finds the back of the net. His goal is the eventual winner and with 4 goal involvements – 3 goals and 1 assist – across 5 Premier League appearances, there’s very little that feels hyperbolic about him at the moment. Liverpool have a striker and he’s scoring goals.
Losers
David Moyes
Today’s loss makes him the manager with the most losses without a win at one stadium: 21 at Anfield. In second place? David Moyes with 20 at Stamford Bridge. All jokes aside, Moyes has done a decent job in his return to The Ev. But it’s hard to get really worked up when the opposition didn’t create all that much to force the issue. To be clear, he didn’t park the bus. He just maybe let it idle in the carpark.
Dissecting the Narrative
Entering this match, Milos Kerkez was probably the new signing that has come in for the most criticism. A sloppy showing against Burnley that was preceded by a string of performances that, while improving, did not exactly instill confidence, meant that the Hungarian defender was already hearing it from some corners of the fanbase. Today, Kerkez showed the measures of improvement leading up to the Burnley match weren’t a mirage. His performance against an in-form Ndiyae was quite composed and he did offer some support going forward. Here’s hoping he continues his trajectory upward.
Similarly, Florian Wirtz had come in for a little bit worry as it becomes clear he’s needing to adjust to the pace of the Premier League. The German playmaker was bright coming on as substitute today, which follows perhaps his best performance as a Red in the midweek Champions League match against Atletico Madrid. It feels inevitable that Wirtz will soon find his level and given that what’s been shown thus far is already quite exciting, I can’t wait to see him in full bloom on Merseyside.
What Happens Next
Liverpool continue their perfect start to the season and have people talking about the last time the club were perfect through five league matches. It is certainly beginning to enter dream realms for some fans. First, though, they’ll face Southampton in the League Cup on Tuesday, followed by a clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday. It really is busy season with the return of midweek football this past week. Liverpool are built, intentionally, to compete on all fronts, with an eye to winning them all. Being able to bring Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz off the bench is a sign of that intentionality. Here’s hoping they manage to keep putting in the performances to continue earning these results.
