Liverpool Player Ratings: Every Red’s Start to the Season Ranked

As the extended international break wears on, it offers a chance to take stock of performances after seven unbeaten games to start the Andoni Iraola era. Liverpool sit sixth in the league, with two away wins against Ipswich and Bournemouth and three draws against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Fulham. The league fixtures have been punctuated with strong cup performances against Atletico Madrid and Tottenham.

The Reds have improved under the new manager, particularly defensively, yet issues around player form and the structure of the press remain, alongside doubts about the squad’s balance and depth.

How better to judge the start of the season than by ranking every player individually?

Credits: Liverpool FC

Alisson Becker – 7

Linked to Juventus early in the summer, Alisson retained the gloves for his ninth season as Liverpool’s number 1. The Brazilian sat out the back end of last season to ensure fitness for the World Cup and has carried that freshness into this season, saving 70.1% of the shots he has faced, with strong performances against Bournemouth and Atletico. His three Premier League clean sheets — joint‑most in the division — underline a defensive solidity that was missing last season, when Liverpool shipped 53 league goals. In what may be Alisson’s final season at Liverpool, with his contract expiring in the summer and Lucca Brughmans arriving, he is showing that he is still more than worth his salt between the sticks.

Credits: Liverpool.com

Milos Kerkez – 5.5

As he begins his second season as Liverpool’s starting left back, Kerkez has continued to divide opinion. The diminutive Hungarian has defended well for the most part, using his tenacity and low centre of gravity to punch above his weight in physical duels. That said, he still spends too much time on the floor, and his lack of top-end sprint speed has been exposed, most notably by Anthony Elanga for Newcastle’s first goal in the season opener. Kerkez has benefitted from the introduction of Ronald Aruajo at right-back, giving him licence to go forward more freely as the more offensive of the two. This freedom has not turned into productivity yet, as he has registered just 0.02 expected assists per 90 in the Premier League and created just two chances. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old has been generally solid since Newcastle and can be expected to improve further, especially offensively, where he was very productive for Bournemouth previously.

Credits:

Virgil Van Dijk – 7.5

The Liverpool captain has made a strong start to the season and remains one of the league’s best centre backs at 35 years old. He was particularly impressive against Ipswich in the Reds’ first win of the season, showing the poise and aerial dominance that has come to be expected of him. While he may have lost a yard of pace, he has the intelligence to make up for it, and Liverpool’s new sporting director Julian Ward should make an extension for the Dutchman a priority.

Credits: BBC

Jeremy Jacquet – 8 Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season so far.

The £60million summer signing arrived with big boots to fill, replacing countryman Ibrahima Konate, who departed for Real Madrid, and he is taking to the job exceptionally. After a slightly shaky debut in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle, in which he was substituted in the second half, Jacquet has been brilliant. The 21-year-old has been aggressive, winning 76.3% of his duels and allowing Van Dijk to play more conservatively. With the ball, Jacquet is superior to his predecessor, showing excellent press resistance and the ability to play line-breaking passes. His club form earned him a full international debut last weekend.

Credits: Liverpool FC

Ronald Aruajo – 7.5

Liverpool rolled the dice on Aruajo despite a difficult two years for the Uruguayan, and it has gone as well as they could have hoped. The loanee from Barcelona came in at right-back after Jeremy Frimpong’s tough start to the season and has made the position his own. The 27-year-old has won 72% of his aerial duels, improving the backline’s ability to defend long balls into the channels. He even showed some South American flair as he assisted Dominik Szoboszlai against Atletico Madrid with a flicked nutmeg. Liverpool’s newfound defensive resilience can be owed, in large part, to his introduction to the starting 11.

Credits: BBC

Jeremy Frimpong – 3.5

Frimpong has been the season’s big loser; the Dutch right-back was dropped after two games and faces an uphill battle to regain his place. It is increasingly clear that Liverpool cannot afford to play Frimpong and Kerkez together in big games, raising questions about the logic behind spending a combined £70 million on them last year. Frimpong will hope the lack of depth at right-back and right-wing will give him the minutes he needs to regain the form he showed at Bayer Leverkusen.

Ryan Gravenberch – 4.5

Another Dutchman who has had a tough start to life under Andoni Iraola and lost his starting place. Liverpool’s midfield has been a cause for concern; both poor form and a lack of balance have contributed to open games and a lack of control. Gravenberch was caught out of position in key moments against Newcastle, leaving a vacuum in midfield after dribbling forward and losing the ball on the edge of the box. The former PFA Young Player of the Year was also in the midfield that struggled against Fulham.

Dominik Szoboszlai – 6

Having signed a big contract in the summer, Liverpool’s player of the season in 2025/26 has shown flashes of brilliance, most notably his screamer against Tottenham in the League Cup, but has been criticised for his general play in the Reds’ dysfunctional midfield. Szoboszlai’s engine and ball-striking are undeniable, but his positional discipline and choice of passes have contributed to the struggles in the middle of the park. Iraola will be plotting how to get the best out of him as the season wears on.

Alexis Mac Allister – 7

A return to form for Liverpool’s number 10 after his stellar World Cup campaign with Argentina has been a huge relief. Two fantastic finishes against Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, alongside tenacious and intelligent performances, have helped settle the midfield.

Credits: BBC

Florian Wirtz - 5

Wirtz continues to polarise opinion in his second season. Flashes of quality - like his assist for Victor Munoz in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest - appear fleetingly within performances that lack substance. The German has yet to get to grips with the league’s physicality, which was laid bare against Bournemouth as he repeatedly gave simple passes away and was berated by Jamie Carragher on commentary. His performance against Atletico Madrid was cause for optimism as he pressed incessantly and was unlucky not to get an assist for a fine through ball to Bradley Barcola. Application and work rate are not the issue — he covers just shy of 12km per 90 — but he must start influencing games more with the ball if he is to justify his price tag.

Victor Munoz – 7

Munoz arrived for a fee of £35 million this summer from Osasuna, and early performances suggest that he will represent great value for money. The winger’s searing pace and tireless work rate have already endeared him to the Anfield crowd. His impact was immediate as he won a penalty against Newcastle on his debut, rescuing a point for the Reds. On his first start, he lashed a late equaliser off the bar against Forest. Since Bradley Barcola’s arrival, minutes have been harder to come by, but it has been a positive start to the Spaniard’s Liverpool career.

Credits: BBC

Cody Gakpo – 8. Most Improved Player

After a difficult 2025-26 season, Gakpo was almost sold in the summer, with Tottenham and Man City circling. Liverpool elected to keep him as their search for a right winger foundered, and they will be mightily relieved they did. Gakpo has already assisted Isak four times (if you count the Bournemouth goal) alongside netting two excellent goals of his own against Newcastle and Tottenham. He has looked particularly impressive off the right, with early crosses to Isak proving fruitful.

Credits: BBC

Alexander Isak – 7.5

Liverpool’s record signing is finally sparking to life after a nightmare debut season blighted by a bad leg break. The Swede is the second-top scorer in the Premier League with 4 goals and has recaptured the form which saw him bag multiple 20-plus-goal scoring league seasons at Newcastle. He looked especially sharp against Ipswich, scoring two in the first ten minutes, and scored the winner at the Vitality in the last game. Strong underlying stats – 0.77 xG and 3.25 shots per 90 – suggest a prolific season is in the offing, provided he stays fit.

Credits: BBC

Bradley Barcola - 6

It’s much too soon to judge the marquee summer signing, but that’s the point of this article, so we’re doing it anyway. After a disrupted pre-season in which he was left out of the PSG squad, Barcola made his debut against Ipswich and has shown his blistering pace, recording the fastest speed in the Premier League this season at 35.9 km/h. It will be exciting to see him kick on after the break.

Rio Ngumoha – 6