Ryan Gravenberch has insisted Liverpool must continue to push for Champions League qualification despite falling further behind in the Premier League race following a dramatic 2–1 defeat to Manchester City, Softfootball reports.
The Reds now sit four points behind fifth-placed Chelsea and five adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United after Sunday’s loss at Anfield. Speaking via comments shared on Liverpool’s official X account, Gravenberch acknowledged the challenge ahead but remained confident in the squad’s quality.
the midfielder said:
We have to start winning games, I’m confident. It’s a difficult position but I’m not really concerned because I know the quality we have. We have to keep pushing still.
Liverpool had taken the lead in spectacular fashion when Dominik Szoboszlai curled home a stunning free-kick from distance with 16 minutes remaining. However, Manchester City responded through Bernardo Silva before Erling Haaland converted a stoppage-time penalty to snatch all three points. The dramatic finale was compounded when Szoboszlai was shown a straight red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Reflecting on the performance, Gravenberch admitted frustration at the outcome:
We deserved more in the second half because we played a good game. We had momentum, the fans were with us, but in the end we concede.
Despite the defeat, Szoboszlai’s form remains a major positive for Liverpool. The club confirmed that his 30-yard strike against City was his fourth direct free-kick goal of the 2025/26 season across all competitions, underlining his standout campaign and growing reputation as a dead-ball specialist.
