Liverpool's resounding start to the season has endured its first tout of turbulence, though Jurgen Klopp will be confident that winning ways in the Premier League will resume promptly.
Having steamrolled into early form, the Reds constructed a seven-match winning streak across all competitions after drawing their opener against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – very much restored after a challenging 2022/23 season.
This excellent vein of form was halted by a controversial defeat against table-toppers Tottenham Hotspur, preceding a recent 2-2 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on the south coast.
Such form is certainly not concerning, but several patterns are becoming a bit of an unwanted theme, namely the slow starts to matches and the continuing debate over Alexis Mac Allister's role as the No. 6.
How is Alexis Mac Allister playing this season?
Mac Allister was signed from Brighton in a £35m transfer in the summer after winning the World Cup with Argentina, and while he has looked crisp and controlled in the centre of the pitch, there are indeed a few question marks floating around his current role.
It is important to note that Liverpool were utterly woeful for large parts of last season and offered a collective midfield that was rather shambolic, unable to effectively aid the attack and definitely incapable of efficiently protecting the backline.
But, nonetheless, Mac Allister is both creative and energetic and his best qualities lie in a role that suits; due to Liverpool lacking a specialist no. 6 outside of squad option Wataru Endo and youngster Stefan Bajcetic, the 24-year-old has been deployed in the deep-lying role across all eight of his Premier League outings as a Red.
He has still showcased his skills, completing 89% of his tackles and winning 2.8 tackles per game – as per Sofascore – but the eye test will show that there is still much defensively to be absorbed.
Statistic
2022/23
2023/24
Average rating
7.20
6.95
Appearances
35
8
Goals
10
0
Assists
2
1
G/A ratio
0.34
0.12
Shots per game
2.5
0.4
Key passes per game
1.3
0.4
Pass completion
87%
89%
Tackles per game
2.0
2.8
Interceptions per game
0.6
1.5
Dribble rate + win %
1.2 (67%)
1.0 (67%)
Duel rate + win %
5.5 (58%)
5.5 (52%)
The table inserted above lists comparisons between the current Premier League campaign and the previous, and what's intriguing is while the £150k-per-week ace is situated much deeper and thus experiencing a severe decline in his offensive attributes, his defensive metrics don't quite warrant the change.
What is meant by this? Well, his passing accuracy is only marginally improved from last season, though his rate of creativity has decreased significantly; additionally, while he is naturally making more tackles and interceptions due to his placement on the pitch, he's actually less successful in duels.
This is not alarming, as such, but it is an illustration of how he is not being utilised in a manner that allows his best attributes to shine, and the forthcoming international break should now give Klopp ample time to mull over the player's suitability to the role.
Yet to produce that glittering, standout performance, Mac Allister's quality is undeniable but he is indeed struggling to provide the impact of a player more naturally suited to the holding position, which is perhaps contributing toward Liverpool's slow starts.
Perhaps a change is in order, in the short-term, at least, and with Ryan Gravenberch still waiting for his maiden starting berth in the English top-flight, it might just be time to integrate the Dutchman into proceedings and utilise his progressive presence.
How good is Ryan Gravenberch?
Gravenberch joined Liverpool in a £34m transfer after struggling for minutes in Germany with Bayern Munich last season – having only joined from homeland side Ajax the summer before.
He had long been regarded as a hot prospect, with ex-Ajax ace Wim Kieft even labelling him as his nation's "greatest talent", but after just three Bundesliga starts across the 2022/23 term, his hype had simmered down somewhat.
Klopp offered him a lifeline, and with it an opportunity to rise to the fore and start exuding the quality that is clearly within his grasp.
While the 21-year-old is neither the No. 6 Liverpool still somewhat needs, he could be the answer to stopping the slow starts, perhaps starting over his Argentinian peer alongside someone of Endo's ilk, who can provide the industriousness to let his qualities shine.
Gravenberch ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
A multi-functional midfielder, these metrics highlight a first-rate robustness, adept both on the ball and without it, and unquestionably capable of surging forwards and creating openings for the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and co.
In fact, he's already got a goal and two assists to his name despite having yet to start in the Premier League, and next to Dominik Szoboszlai, he really could be the answer to propel the Reds into the next level.
Another summer midfield acquisition, the Hungary captain has been a bona fide revelation on Merseyside, arriving from RB Leipzig for £60m, dubbed the “Hungarian magician” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2022.
The 22-year-old has recorded an excellent average Sofascore rating of 7.29 in his new league, omnipresent across the pitch and completing 87% of his passes, making 2.1 key passes, 1.6 tackles and 7.4 ball recoveries per game – serving as the engine to charge the squad's drive.
With a "Rolls-Royce" such as the 6 foot 2 Gravenberch beside him, as he has been called by journalist Declan Carr, there's no telling the havoc Klopp's new midfield could wreak.
It's impressive that Liverpool have charged back into title contention after such a dreadful year despite completely changing the midfield – and still leaving plenty of room for constructive criticism.
This team is not at its peak, with recent results highlighting that, but this is not a worry. The Anfield side continues to improve and as it does so, the cogs will combine to return the club to the very forefront of domestic and continental competition.