"The player we were looking for ages," "Man of the match" - Liverpool fans laud superstar's 'exceptional' performance in 5-1 win over Toulouse
Liverpool fans hailed Ryan Gravenberch after he produced an excellent performance during the Reds' dominant 5-1 win against Toulouse. The victory came in the UEFA Europa League at Anfield on Thursday, October 26.
The Reds recorded their third straight win in the Europa League group stages against a brave Toulouse side. They are now at the summit of Group E with nine points from three games.
Diogo Jota (9'), Wataru Endo (30'), Darwin Nunez (34'), Ryan Gravenberch (65'), and Mohamed Salah (93') were among the goals, while Thijs Dallinga (16') scored for the away side.
Gravenberch had an exceptional game in midfield. The Dutchman scored a good goal, had a pass accuracy of 96 percent, and created three big chances. All four of his shots were also on target and he could have easily scored more if it wasn't for some good saves by Guillaume Restes.
Moreover, the 21-year-old had a successful dribbling rate of 100 percent, won seven duels, made five recoveries, and had an accurate long ball rate of 100 percent. He was given a rating of 8.8 by FotMob for his efforts.
Liverpool fans lavished praise on Gravenberch for his outstanding performance. One fan posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"The player we were looking for ages. Ryan will be massive figure for Liverpool. Amazing first touch, mesmerizing dribbling and eye for a pass. What a player."
Another fan wrote:
"GRAVENBERCH man of the match"
"He is beginning to show tremendous attributes when on the field- looks likely to be a fantastic long term signing. Very impressed in the derby & again tonight."
Ryan Gravenberch has made a positive start to his Liverpool career
Many fans had their reservations when Liverpool decided to sign Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich for €40 million on Deadline Day. However, the Dutchman has impressed the Anfield faithful since then on the pitch.
Gravenberch was barely given an opportunity to impress for Bayern last season, playing just 946 minutes of first-team football and registering only two goal contributions.
The 21-year-old has already improved on those numbers for the Reds, scoring two goals and providing two assists in 10 appearances across all competitions. He has looked creative in midfield, has an eye for goal, and isn't afraid to drive forward with the ball - traits that Liverpool midfielders have lacked in recent years.
Gravenberch will be hoping to start for the Reds against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, October 29.