(Video) What Ryan Gravenberch did just before Hugo Ekitike goal was impeccable game intelligence | OneFootball

Ryan Gravenberch showed some top-tier game intelligence in providing the assist for Hugo Ekitike’s early goal against West Ham this afternoon.

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For only the second time since the Merseyside derby in September, Liverpool scored inside the opening 40 minutes of a Premier League match. In fact, they needed just five to hit the front against the Irons today.

The away side won the first header when defending a corner kick in front of the Kop and looked primed to launch a counterattack before a crucial intervention by the Reds midfielder.

Gravenberch tees up Ekitike with smart assist

With two West Ham players swiftly converging on him, Gravenberch read the situation perfectly and played a first-time pass into Ekitike, who held his run in order to remain onside.

The Liverpool striker then took one touch to set himself before arrowing a low shot beyond Mads Hermansen in the Irons goal to fire the home side into a very early lead.

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Excellent reading of the play from Gravenberch

Much like his team in general, the 23-year-old’s performances this season have fluctuated between the sublime and the subdued, but when the Dutchman is at his best, he is unquestionably one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

As the ball dropped to him from the second West Ham headed clearance, he could easily have taken a touch to try and get the ball under control – as many players might well have done in that situation – but he know that doing so would risk him being dispossessed and the Irons breaking upfield swiftly.

Instead, he read that danger and played an inch-perfect pass into Ekitike, who showed the requisite composure to bag his 16th goal of the season for Liverpool and settle any early nerves there may have been at Anfield.

Hermansen will be disappointed to have been beaten on his near post, but from a Reds perspective, it was a well-worked goal between two intelligent footballers, and it was refreshing to see Arne Slot’s side score in the opening minutes rather than waiting until the second half, as has often been the case this term!

You can view Ekitike’s goal against West Ham below, taken from Premier Sports’ match coverage and shared via @livegoals001 on X: