Important games are always the ideal stage for becoming famous with one goal. Before last Saturday's Merseyside Derby, most people thought that the protagonist would be Salah, Galish, Werz or Isak, but in the end, Heraffenberg's outstanding performance became the focus of the game.
Heraffenberg played a key role in Liverpool's Premier League championship last season, and he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and was selected for the PFA Team of the Year.
Hrafenberg's performance was particularly impressive in Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Everton, with the Dutch international taking almost the entire game. Especially considering that the derby kick-off time is less than 63 hours away from their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, the rest time is very short.
Heraffenberg first scored a subtle goal to help Liverpool take the lead at Anfield. He then received a pass from McAllister and sent an appropriate and accurate pass to Ekitic on the right, helping the latter to score and expand the lead.
With this goal and one assist, Gravenberg, who was only 23 years and 127 days on the same day, became the youngest single-game goal + assist player in Liverpool's history in the Merseyside derby in the Premier League. In addition, he also completed 5 steals and regained the ball 7 times, both of which were the highest in the team in the game on the spot.
The most classic scene of Herafenberg on the court last season was that after receiving the ball, he only needed to twist his hips and shift his center of gravity from one foot to the other. A simple and quick turn could get rid of the opponent and get the opportunity to carry the ball and advance.
In last Saturday's game, he still played his unique skill to the fullest. He dribbled the ball 15 times throughout the game, at least three more than any other Liverpool player. Of the players who played at least 270 minutes of the Premier League this season, only four players averaged more dribbling than him (18.5 times).
In all games in the new season, he always leads the number of opportunities. In the fourth round of away win over Burnley, he created 4 opportunities, completing 37 of 40 offensive pass attempts in the third zone, with a success rate of 92.5%.
In the match against Atletico Madrid last Wednesday, he gave Salah an assist, while completing the team's most passes (27 times) in the offensive zone three, and won 7 of the 10 confrontations.
This series of continuous outstanding performances may be related to some adjustments to his role on the court this season. Heraffenberg said in an interview after the victory over Everton: "It was the coach who gave me confidence. I have more freedom in the midfield this season. Last season, I almost kept playing in the 6th position, very far behind and very far behind. But now I can get more forwards, which is my advantage. I am very happy about it and I am happy to score goals."
So far in the new season, his average number of touches in the league in the league has increased from 69.9 last season to 76.0, and his average number of dribbling propulsions per game has increased from 14.4 to 18.5. He averaged only 0.6 shots per game in the 2024/25 season, and has reached 1.8 this season.
Hrafenberger only completed 20 shots in 37 games last season, and has completed 7 times so far in the new season. He only scored 1 goal in 63 Premier League games, and has already scored 2 goals in his first four appearances in the 2025/26 season.
Although he was more involved in the offense, judging from his touch position distribution, you will find that Herafenberger touched more times in the defensive area. This may be because Liverpool's games so far this season are mostly in a tense situation and need more defensive investment. However, at the same time, he also had more touches in the midfield and frontcourt, especially on the edge of the opponent's penalty area.
Overall, Liverpool may not be perfect in terms of game content, but they are still firmly ranked first in the Premier League points, with a lead of 5 points. From Heraffenberg, they also have a player who has an extremely good start to the season.
According to reports, Bayern Munich is dissatisfied with Liverpool's transfer to grab Wiltz this summer. But in fact, they should perhaps be even more upset that the Red Army took Heraffenberg from them two years ago.