The stats certainly make for interesting reading.

Liverpool full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and James Milner led the way in overlapping in the Premier League last season, according to figures collated by Colin Trainor at Statsbomb.com.

Top of the pile Milner received 304 passes in an overlapping position while Clyne grabbed second place with 299.

The rest of the top 10 suggests, perhaps not unsurprisingly, that it’s primarily the top teams who have the most overlapping attackers with Spurs and Man United the notable absentees. Cause or effect is another question altogether.

Hector Bellerin (261), Raheem Sterling (243), Marcos Alonso (219), Victor Moses (219), Kevin De Bruyne (213), Leroy Sane (209), Nacho Monreal (205) and Eden Hazard (204) round off the top 10.

Like the Liverpool pair, it’s full-backs and wing-backs who dominate except at Man City where it’s De Bruyne and Sane leading the way in Pep Guardiola’s system.

(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Regardless of their efforts last season though Clyne and Milner will both find themselves under the spotlight in their respective positions at Anfield this season.

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Milner, despite a season of model consistency after being asked to switch roles by Jurgen Klopp, is still not seen as “the answer” to Liverpool’s long-running left-back saga by most.

A signing in that position is coveted by many but it is only likely to arrive if Alberto Moreno accepts that his Liverpool career is over.

That’s a sign that the most important opinion of all - that of Jurgen Klopp - does come down heavily in Milner’s favour and the Reds boss is a strong advocate of the vice-captain’s influence on the pitch.

Much of the frustration among supporters was that when Milner did get into strong positions out wide his tendency was to cut back inside on his right foot and deliver his cross from there, a narrowing of the pitch seen as unhelpful given the opposition’s tendency to sit deep against Klopp’s men especially at Anfield.

(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Milner’s situation may be considerably improved though with the expectation of Sadio Mane switching to play in front of him to make way for Mohamed Salah’s arrival.

Mane’s pace and ability to open up the outside will surely combine better with Milner than Philippe Coutinho, who himself has a tendency to cut inside, albeit often to devastating effect.

The hope would certainly be that Milner could improve on the three assists he chalked up last season.

On the other side, Nathaniel Clyne already has competition in the shape of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

(Image: (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))

It is the England international’s lack of final ball which caused consternation at times and he ended the season with just two assists, one of those achieved on the opening day at the Emirates.

Newly rewarded for his progress with an improved five-year deal on Friday, Alexander-Arnold has shown he can provide goals and threat from full-back at U23 level and few would bet against him translating that to the Premier League on a regular basis.

A season to remember for Trent Alexander-Arnold

Defensively though there remains much for the 18-year-old to work on, a point Klopp has made more than once, suggesting the England man’s position as first choice remains relatively safe for now.

It would probably be a surprise though if Milner and Clyne were to top that overlapping table in 12 months’ time.