Liverpool sealed their place at the top of the Premier League table, four points ahead of Chelsea, as they ran riot on Sunday afternoon in a 6-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur – and Reds midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has name-dropped one Spurs player they targeted.
Despite James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke all getting on the scoresheet for the hosts, Liverpool’s glut of goals – which included doubles for both Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz – saw them pick up zero points on home soil.
Amid the ongoing criticism over his one-dimensional tactics, Ange Postecoglou stayed true to his guns and was ripped apart by Arne Slot, one of the best managers in world football, as he dealt with what he had at his disposal.
Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were both notable absentees from the starting line-up given their respective troubles with injury, forcing Postecoglou into naming a makeshift back line of Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Archie Gray and Djed Spence.
Such is the nature of the hustle and bustle of England’s top flight, Tottenham’s weakened defensive structure was exploited by the Premier League table toppers as they broke with intense pace – an aspect of the encounter that Dragusin and Gray struggled with.
Gravenberch, who is widely recognised as one of the best midfielders in world football right now, was instrumental in Slot and his entourage’s memorable win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, performing at the fulcrum of the visitors’ midfield.
Speaking to LFCTV, per talkSPORT, in the aftermath of their nine-goal thriller, the Dutchman detailed his side’s plan in north London and singled out Tottenham’s Dragusin as their weak link – one they tried to exploit as they looked to extend their lead at the summit.
“Yeah we had a really good game plan, we wanted to keep them on the right side and press the right centre-back. Sometimes it went well and sometimes they did it good but by the end, I think we did really well.”
Dragusin, 22, played the entirety of the 90 minutes thanks to Postecoglou’s options – or lack thereof – in the heart of defence and put in a ponderous performance, one that saw him win just 33% (1/3) of his duels and complete zero tackles.
Despite only signing on the dotted line in January 2024, the fact that January’s transfer period is fast approaching could provide cause for concern for the Romanian, who has featured in 22 games in all competitions so far this campaign.
