Midfield double trouble

SLOT’S MR RELIABLES STILL OUT OF SYNCH

- By IAN DOYLE

THERE are more than a few contributory factors to Liverpool's stuttering - at least in terms of performance level - start to the season.

Chief among those is the difficulty introducing so many new players into a team for which consistency of selection was the bedrock on which their Premier League title triumph was built last term.

But it’s the lack of presence of one of the most successful partnerships not only with the Reds but the entire top flight that is also hurting Arne Slot’s new-look team.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister formed such a powerful union at the base of the Liverpool midfield throughout 2024/25 that both were nominated for individual gongs, Mac Allister on the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award won by Mohamed Salah while Gravenberch was named Premier League Young Player of the Year.