Liverpool, Zubimendi and Slot: A Battle Shaped by Missed Opportunities

Liverpool’s season has begun with purpose, and Sunday’s meeting with Arsenal offers a chance to underline their ambitions. Anfield will not only stage an early title test but also a duel in midfield that carries echoes of last summer’s transfer market.

Zubimendi’s decision shapes the narrative

Martin Zubimendi, who now anchors Arsenal’s midfield, might easily have been wearing red this weekend. Liverpool’s admiration for the Spaniard was no secret. “What we liked about (Zubimendi) was how good he is on the ball and how much game insight he has,” Arne Slot told The Daily Mail.

The Liverpool manager expanded further:
“We thought, and it was true, that we would have the ball a lot in every single game, and then to have someone in front of your defence that is very comfortable on the ball would have been a good fit for us. Especially if he’s also defensively strong enough for the league, which he’s showing now and which we also expected. But we found all of these things definitely also in Ryan. He’s very comfortable on the ball and defensively strong enough to play in the position.”

Gravenberch steps into the role

If Liverpool were left disappointed in their pursuit of Zubimendi, Ryan Gravenberch’s emergence has softened the blow. The Dutchman has developed into one of the Premier League’s standout midfielders, offering both composure and resilience. His form has given Slot the balance he craved and ensured Zubimendi’s absence was not felt as keenly as feared.

Still, the sight of Zubimendi in Arsenal colours will stir memories. For Gravenberch, this becomes personal: a chance to prove Liverpool’s faith was not misplaced, and to outshine the man who was once tipped to take his place.

Midfield contest could define the match

Alexis Mac Allister’s fitness looms as a decisive factor. If the Argentine is ready, Liverpool’s midfield has the rhythm to challenge Arsenal’s trio of Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard. Without him, the Reds risk surrendering control in a zone where the game could be won or lost.

Liverpool supporters are unlikely to forget Zubimendi’s rejection last summer, and Anfield will not make it easy for him. Yet if Gravenberch rises to the occasion and Mac Allister returns, Liverpool may tilt the balance in their favour and head into the break with their title defence intact.