Van Dijk, Robertson, Trent: Liverpool dominate as PL's best technical players named

Stats gurus recently conducted a study to determine the best performing outfield players in each of Europe’s top 32 leagues. The Premier League’s results are in – and it’s Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool that lead the way.

Per the CIES Football Observatory, ‘players were ranked according to their performance level with respect to both teammates and opponents, their playing time, as well as their team and league sporting strength’ across 15 categories.

Once the numbers had been crunched, the Reds’ players came out on top in eight of those 15 categories in terms of the Premier League.

Defensively, Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho emerged as the best in their respective classifications.

Matip was recognised as the league’s top ‘air-to-ground blocker’ for his sturdiness at the back for Liverpool, while Van Dijk got the nod for his role as an ‘air blocker filter man’ – celebrating both his aerial prowess and his work rate.

Fabinho’s discipline and composure at the base of Liverpool’s midfield saw him rank highest in the category of ‘ground blocker filter man’.

There was even greater success further up the field with dynamic full-back partnership Andy Robertson and Trent-Alexander Arnold each winning categories based on the creative threat they offer from wide areas for Liverpool.

Robertson bagged the ‘infiltrator creator’ category, beating Manchester City’s Bernando Silva, with Trent snagging the ‘playmaker creator’ prize,

Not only did both land domestic honours in the survey but – alongside Van Dijk – they also claimed their overall categories across the whole of Europe.

The top spot in the category of ‘shooter infiltrator’, which looks at a player’s ability to take on their opposition and get a shot away at goal was always