With a reworked version of a terrace chant formerly dedicated to Gini Wijnaldum, Anfield is growing more and more fond of another Dutchman with every passing week.
Ryan Gravenberch looks the part and has been nominated for the Premier League’s player of the month award for September.
And now the 22-year-old, once of Ajax and Bayern Munich, has the statistics to back up any argument.
You may get called a data nerd if you cite the following numbers in the pub before a match, but at least these statistics will allow fans to add some meat to the bone of their debates over a pint this weekend.
Gravenberch has an on-ball value (OBV) higher than any other deep-lying midfielder in the Premier League this season. That is a value given to dribbles and carries by those players, for which the Dutchman ranks at 0.96.
Ryan Gravenberch is quickly becoming a fan favourite with Liverpool fans thanks to his superb performances this season
The Dutchman has a higher OBV than any other deep-lying midfielder in the Premier League this term
The next best is Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic, signed last year to give the 2023 Champions League winners more legs in midfield, on 0.94. Third is Crystal Palace’s England international Adam Wharton, who is way back on 0.72.
These statistics were given to Mail Sport by Gravenberch’s agency, Raiola Global Management. They say Gravenberch is carrying the ball an average of 5.58metres, bettered only by Kovacic at 5.59m.
Declan Rice is just behind at Arsenal and, for comparison, Manchester United’s veteran midfielder Casemiro carries the ball an average of 2.88m per instance.
In terms of progressing play with passes, Gravenberch is way ahead of a certain Martin Zubimendi, the Real Sociedad midfielder Liverpool tried to sign this summer but ultimately failed to recruit, after the Spaniard opted to stay in San Sebastian.
‘If I could have bought him then maybe I could have rotated a bit more,’ said Liverpool manager Arne Slot a fortnight ago. ‘But there is no point talking about Zubimendi because he stayed with Real Sociedad. We have moved on and we are really happy with Ryan.’
Gravenberch is also excelling under pressure. On Wednesday night against Bologna in the Champions League, he often received the ball with his back to goal and a defender pressing him aggressively. Within seconds, he had either spun his marker or played a sensible pass to get out of trouble.
A representative for Raiola adds: ‘What truly sets Ryan apart is his composure under pressure. In high-pressing situations, he has shown an extraordinary ability to shield the ball and make precise decisions, whether it’s advancing play through a pass or carrying it himself.
Gravenberch’s performances have cooled fears that the Reds will suffer in midfield after missing out on their primary target Martin Zubimendi
The 22-year-old is also excelling under pressure when opposition attackers look to dispossess him in a dangerous area
‘His calmness under pressure allows Liverpool to maintain control and dictate the tempo of matches. Gravenberch leads the pack with an impressive 39.34 pressures received per 90 minutes but, more importantly, he retains possession in 34.95 of these instances.’
These numbers outshine his Premier League counterparts. In terms of accurate passes per 90, only Kovacic and Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur are above Gravenberch this season.
But the Dutchman is not just excelling on the ball. Gravenberch also leads the way for what data gurus call ‘possession-adjusted interceptions’ with 69 ball recoveries per 90. He is also in the top percentile for running speed and sprints per game.
As one observer was overheard saying on Wednesday night at Anfield, ‘it feels like Gravenberch could find space to play football in a postbox’.
Gravenberch has been crucial in Slot’s side ascending to the top of the Premier League in the season’s early weeks
Of course, numbers are not everything in football, but Gravenberch tops the charts for most of the key midfield metrics.
It is no surprise, therefore, that with the Dutchman at the heart of their team, Slot’s Liverpool are also top of the pile in the Premier League.