Liverpool star criticised for ‘ridiculous’ moment in Chelsea win

Liverpool star criticised for ‘ridiculous’ moment in Chelsea win Ryan Gravenberch Under Fire After Costly Liverpool Penalty Against Chelsea Andoni Iraola rotated heavily for Liverpool’s Carabao Cup meeting with Chelsea, making seven changes and handing fringe players a chance to make a case for themselves. That was the point of the night. Minutes for squad players, a test of depth, and a look at who can be trusted when the stakes rise. Ryan Gravenberch kept his place, which made sense. Continuity matters when the side around you changes that much. It also gave the midfielder an opening to build on recent improvement while covering for the injured Dominik Szoboszlai. Instead, the game turned into a reminder of why questions still follow him. Photo: IMAGO Penalty mistake changes Liverpool night The key moment was avoidable and needless. Gravenberch went in from the wrong side on Moises Caicedo inside the box, got it wrong, and gave Darren England an easy decision. There was no argument to be had. It was clumsy, ill-judged and completely unnecessary. Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson summed it up clearly. “I don’t know why he’s trying to tackle him in the first place,” said the former right-back. “To tackle him there is ridiculous, to go to ground is even worse. I don’t know what he’s thinking. “He’s [Caicedo] going away from the goal, he’s not dangerous, you can just let him have it. All Caicedo is thinking is ‘please foul me.’” That is the heart of it. Caicedo was moving away from danger. There was no need to dive in. Good midfielders recognise risk. Great ones remove it. Gravenberch did the opposite. Chelsea gifted route into the game Chelsea had offered little before that moment. Then Liverpool handed them a route in, and Morgan Rogers took it. At this level, that is how matches swing. One bad choice, one soft penalty, one opponent suddenly in front. Cody Gakpo did respond from the spot for Liverpool, making it 1-1 on 43 minutes, but the wider issue remained. A night that should have helped Gravenberch build rhythm and authority instead exposed the loose side of his game. Ryan Gravenberch still searching for consistency This has been a difficult season for the Dutchman. Some of that has been misfortune. His red card against Manchester City came during one of his better performances and was hardly entirely of his own making. Even so, there are too many moments where he creates problems for himself. Against Chelsea, this was more than one error. He drifted through large parts of the contest and failed to impose himself in a midfield that needed leadership. In a young Liverpool side, this was a chance to take responsibility. He did not take it. For Iraola, rotation was understandable. For Gravenberch, the audition went badly. Liverpool can carry inexperience in cup ties. They cannot carry decisions like that.