Arne Slot details Ryan Gravenberch change with explanation for Liverpool struggles

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Liverpool IconLiverpool FC NewsFeaturesArne SlotLiverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has struggled for form at times this season, with Arne Slot offering an explanation for the drop-off in his performance levels22:35, 05 Mar 2026Updated 22:35, 05 Mar 2026Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)Arne Slot has claimed that Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is being targeted by Premier League opponents who want to stunt the Reds' attacking play.Gravenberch was substituted at half-time as Liverpool lost 2-1 at Wolves on Tuesday. He has not reached the same heights this season as in Slot's first campaign at the helm and had been booked at Molineux following a series of fouls.Alongside Alexis Mac Allister, Gravenberch has struggled for consistency in the center of the field this term.

And Slot says the 23-year-old is now having to deal with other teams setting up to stop him.READ MORE: James Milner names ex-Liverpool teammate as most underrated star he's played withREAD MORE: Alexander Isak injury update offers hint at likely Liverpool return date"I think it's clear to everyone that Ryan is really comfortable on the ball, and that he can drive the ball through the midfield," Slot explained, via the Liverpool ECHO."What could be an answer to that is making sure the distances are so small that he doesn't have a lot of space in between the lines. If it's hard to generate chances from open play then you have to score from set-pieces, which didn't go particularly well against Wolves, although our biggest chance again came from a set-piece.Ryan Gravenberch during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.(Image: Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)"That's the way certain playing styles are being broken down.

We have to try as much as we can to generate more from open play, but we're not the only team that are having that (problem)."Gravenberch picked up a caution for persistently infringing the laws of the game in the first half at Wolves earlier in the week, with referee Thomas Bramall eventually yellow-carding him for a foul on Joao Gomes."I took him off because he got a yellow for a foul that wasn't a foul," Slot said."And then afterwards he was doing a bit of holding and that player fell down again, and I saw the referee doubting, doubting, doubting, so I thought, maybe it's smart to take him off.Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kitsThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreFrom $100LFC.comSee the dealLiverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world."He did not play his best first half but I think there are not many players in the world that, if the team plays at this (gestures low) level, that an individual plays at this (gestures high) level."I fully believe in the fact that an individual performance always comes from a good team performance, and the better we play, the better the individuals will play as well."And players usually look better when you win games, because if he makes the same actions in a game where we lose or he makes the same actions in a game where we win, you're hyped when you win."Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCArne SlotRyan Gravenberch