Ryan Gravenberch is fast becoming the darling of the Kop and the stats show how missing out on Martin Zubimendi was a blessing in disguise

With a reworked version of a terrace song previously dedicated to Gini Wijnaldum, Anfield is becoming more and more fond of another Dutchman every week.

Ryan Gravenberch is looking good and has been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award for September.

And now the 22-year-old, once of Ajax and Bayern Munich, has the stats to back up any argument.

You might be called a data nerd if you mention the following figures in the pub before a match, but these stats will at least allow fans to add some meat to the debates over a pint this weekend.

Gravenberch has an on-ball value (OBV) that is higher than any other deep-lying midfielder in the Premier League this season. That is a value given by those players to dribbles and carries, for which the Dutchman scores 0.96.

The Dutchman has a higher OBV than any other deep-lying midfielder in the Premier League this season

The next best is Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic, signed last year to give the 2023 Champions League winners more legs in midfield, at 0.94. Third is Crystal Palace’s England international Adam Wharton, who is way back on 0.72.

These statistics were provided to Mail Sport by Gravenberch’s agency, Raiola Global Management. They say that Gravenberch carries the ball an average of 5.58 meters, surpassed only by Kovacic at 5.59 meters.

Declan Rice is just behind Arsenal and in comparison, Manchester United’s experienced midfielder Casemiro carries the ball an average of 2.88 meters per carry.

In terms of progressive passing play, Gravenberch is well 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, I might have rotated a bit more,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said a fortnight ago. ‘But there’s no point in talking about Zubimendi because he stayed at Real Sociedad. We have moved on and we are very happy with Ryan.”

Gravenberch also excels under pressure. On Wednesday evening against Bologna in the Champions League, he often received the ball with his back to the goal and a defender aggressively pressured him. Within seconds he had spun his marker or played a sensible pass to get out of trouble.

A representative for Raiola added: “What really sets Ryan apart is his calmness under pressure. In high-pressure situations, he has shown an exceptional ability to shield the ball and make accurate decisions, whether it be playing forward through a pass or carrying the ball himself.

Gravenberch’s performances have calmed fears that the Reds will suffer in midfield after missing out on their main target, Martin Zubimendi.

The 22-year-old also excels under pressure when opposition attackers try to dispossess him in a dangerous area.

‘His composure under pressure allows Liverpool to maintain control and dictate the pace of games. Gravenberch leads the pack with an impressive 39.34 pressure points per 90 minutes, but more importantly, he retains possession on 34.95 of these occasions.’

These figures surpass its counterparts in the Premier League. In terms of accurate passes per 90, only Rodrigo Bentancur of Kovacic and Tottenham are above Gravenberch this season.

But the Dutchman does not only excel with 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 heard saying at Anfield on Wednesday evening: ‘It feels as if Gravenberch can find space to play football in a letterbox’.

Gravenberch was crucial to Slot’s rise to the top of the Premier League in the first weeks of the season

Of course, numbers aren’t everything in football, but Gravenberch tops the charts for most of the key midfield stats.

It’s no surprise that Slot’s Liverpool, with the Dutchman at the heart of their team, are also top of the table in the Premier League.