"We’ve seen this four or five times in the game where he just opens those legs up and runs away from people. [Kobbie] Mainoo has to bring him back [and] gets the yellow card. It’s almost [Patrick] Vieira-like."
That was Jamie Carragher's take after Ryan Gravenberch got the Sky Sports pundit's tongue wagging with a dominant display for Liverpool against Manchester United. The Dutchman had just helped new Reds boss Arne Slot pass his first, proper test since taking over at Anfield with flying colours, starring in his side's 3-0 demolition of United at Old Trafford. Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah may have got the goals, but this game was won in midfield.
Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Gravenberch were all sublime: a fluid but rock-solid pyramid that drove their United counterparts into the ground. After the game, Carragher took the opportunity to poke fun at a particularly bold claim that partner-in-crime Gary Neville made ahead of the game. "Would you still not swap midfields?" he jibed.
We are used to witnessing these sorts of performances from Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, who reached similar heights during their first season at Anfield. But with Gravenberch, his eye-catching display - and excellent start to the campaign in general - came as more of a surprise.