Liverpool’s assault is mouthwatering, however they’ve additionally conceded 5 objectives fewer than anybody else within the Premier League this season, which is one other massive motive for his or her nine-point lead.
It felt like an announcement efficiency, and on one other day, may have been fairly the assertion end result.
Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester Metropolis on Sunday noticed Arne Slot’s facet regain their nine-point lead on the high of the Premier League and open up an 11-point benefit on the reigning champions.
The Reds purred at Anfield, with the 2-0 scoreline considerably flattering their out-of-sorts guests. Liverpool racked up 18 pictures, essentially the most Metropolis have confronted in a Premier League recreation since they final visited Anfield in March (19). The hosts’ complete of three.6 anticipated objectives was the second most Metropolis have allowed in a Premier League recreation since Pep Guardiola arrived in 2016, after Chelsea’s 4.4 xG of their 2-1 win over Metropolis in June 2020.
Should you’re searching for omens, that recreation formally topped Liverpool as champions that 12 months.
On Sunday, Cody Gakpo gave the hosts the lead after an excellent cross from Mohamed Salah, making the Dutchman the third Liverpool participant to achieve 10+ objective involvements throughout all competitions this season (8 objectives, 2 assists), together with Salah (24) and Luis Díaz (11). No different Premier League staff have extra gamers in double figures this time period.
With these three in wonderful kind, Liverpool’s assault has been getting loads of well-earned plaudits as Slot’s males have raced out to a wholesome lead as they appear to win solely their second Premier League crown, and what can be a record-equalling twentieth English top-flight title. In addition they sit high of the league part of the UEFA Champions League with the one 100% document of all 36 groups.
Nevertheless, as Alex Ferguson, the person chargeable for Manchester United taking that document from Liverpool, as soon as mentioned: “Assault wins you video games, defence wins you titles.”
Whereas Liverpool’s assault has been spectacular, their wonderful defensive work has arguably been simply as chargeable for getting them so far.
Manchester Metropolis had been largely, but uncharacteristically, saved beneath management at Anfield. Their first shot try got here within the thirty ninth minute. It was Metropolis’s longest wait for his or her first shot of a Premier League match since April 2010 in opposition to Arsenal (58th minute).
That adopted a theme for Liverpool this season. They’ve conceded simply eight objectives of their 13 Premier League matches, 5 fewer than every other staff, whereas their 11.6 xG conceded can also be the most effective within the league. They’ve confronted 125 pictures, the second-fewest behind solely Man Metropolis (113), whereas solely Arsenal and Nottingham Forest (0.08) have conceded decrease xG pictures on common than their 0.09 xG per shot.
In different phrases, Liverpool aren’t conceding many probabilities, and even the pictures they do concede aren’t of notably prime quality. It follows that opponents aren’t ending off probabilities in opposition to them nicely, both. They’re conceding objectives on the lowest conversion price of all Premier League groups this season.
No staff in Europe’s high 5 leagues have conceded fewer objectives than Liverpool, although of the opposite three to have conceded simply eight instances, Atlético Madrid (15) and Juventus (14) have performed extra video games.
Taking all competitions under consideration, of groups in Europe’s high 5 leagues to have performed at the least 17 video games this season, no-one has conceded as few as Liverpool (12 objectives), whereas solely Bayern Munich (0.64) and Lazio (0.83) have allowed lower than their 0.87 xG in opposition to per recreation.
They’re notably stingy at Anfield. Liverpool have conceded simply 4 objectives in 11 house video games in all competitions this season and haven’t conceded greater than as soon as in any of these video games. They’ve additionally saved clear sheets of their final 4 video games on house turf in opposition to Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Actual Madrid and Man Metropolis.
All of that may be spectacular sufficient by itself, however is much more so when contemplating first-choice goalkeeper Alisson hasn’t performed for the reason that 1-0 win at Crystal Palace on 5 October, with Caoimhín Kelleher stepping in for the final six league video games and three Champions League video games.
The Republic of Eire stopper has made the mandatory change seem comparatively seamless since taking the gloves regardless of standing in for arguably the most effective goalkeeper on the planet.
Alisson had been in glorious kind too, conceding simply three objectives in 9 video games in all competitions earlier than hobbling off at Selhurst Park. With an anticipated objectives on course (xGOT) of 5.6, the Brazilian prevented round 2.6 objectives along with his saves in comparison with the common goalkeeper.
Kelleher has conceded simply six objectives in his 11 video games, with an xGOT of 12.2, that means he has prevented 6.2 objectives, helped by his two penalty saves in opposition to Southampton and Actual Madrid, although his cease from Adam Armstrong within the first of these video games nonetheless led to a objective from the rebound.
This all appears to bode nicely for Liverpool turning this lead right into a first-place end come Could, however was Ferguson proper? Do the groups with the most effective defensive data win titles?
In Premier League historical past, there have been 12 situations of the staff with the outright finest defensive document profitable the Premier League title. In three additional seasons a facet with the joint-best document has gone on to be topped champions, however there have additionally been 17 events the place the staff(s) conceding the fewest objectives didn’t win the Premier League.
That subsequently means, as a rule, the staff with the most effective defensive document didn’t elevate the trophy on the finish of the season.
Nevertheless, within the Premier League’s earlier 32 seasons, there have solely been three situations of a staff conceding 40 or extra objectives and profitable the title. Funnily sufficient, all three had been Ferguson’s Man Utd.
Groups should subsequently strike a stability, and Liverpool seem to have discovered it.
We’ll come to the defenders, however first we should always be aware the contributions of Liverpool’s midfield. Simply over a 12 months after the membership nearly solely rebuilt their midfield, they’re reaping the rewards, particularly from two people.
Alexis Mac Allister is extra recognized for his calm passing and objective risk, however he has additionally made the fifth most tackles of midfielders within the Premier League this season (32), displaying he’s greater than doing his half off the ball, too.
Ryan Gravenberch has been a revelation within the ‘6’ function this season, having made essentially the most recoveries (75) and the second-most interceptions (24) of Premier League midfielders. For central midfielders specifically, Gravenberch additionally has the second-best duel success with 64.7% (min. 5 appearances).
It may be very useful for midfielders, although, once they have among the finest centre-backs of all time behind them. Virgil van Dijk has been at his imperious finest this season, main from the again with an aura that few, if any, can match.
As the mantra the followers sing about him suggests, he exudes calmness each on and off the ball. You would argue he was a bit too calm when he by accident gave the ball to Kevin De Bruyne late on at Anfield, however Kelleher saved him and you’ll most likely forgive the 33-year-old contemplating his in any other case top-class efficiency.
He could have missed a hat-trick of headers from crosses, however on the different finish Van Dijk made a game-leading three interceptions and 7 clearances on Sunday, at the least 5 extra clearances than every other Liverpool participant. Throughout the season thus far, of centre-backs within the Premier League, he has essentially the most interceptions (25) and has received the third-most aerial duels (43).
Van Dijk had loved a gentle partnership alongside Ibrahima Konaté to start out the season, however with the Frenchman out for the subsequent few weeks after struggling a knee damage in final week’s 2-0 win over Actual Madrid within the Champions League, Slot needed to flip elsewhere in opposition to Metropolis.
Konaté has the second-best aerial duel win share for defenders within the Premier League this season (min. 12 aerial duels contested), so it was going to be an enormous job for Joe Gomez when he stepped in, however he didn’t let Liverpool down.
Gomez solely had one aerial duel in opposition to Metropolis, however he received it, whereas no-one within the recreation received possession greater than his seven instances. The 27-year-old additionally had essentially the most touches of any Liverpool participant, displaying how a lot religion his teammates had in him regardless of him solely taking part in because the right-sided centre-back in 7% of his gametime within the Premier League for the reason that begin of final season.
It also needs to be famous that Trent Alexander-Arnold seems to be a extra lively defender beneath Slot. The England worldwide has come beneath frankly ludicrous ranges of scrutiny for his defending lately, however he’s tackling much more in 2024-25 than he did final season. Alexander-Arnold is averaging 3.3 tackles per 90 minutes within the Premier League, greater than double his 1.6 in 2023-24. You would possibly assume that’s simply what Slot asks of his full-backs usually, however Andy Robertson’s numbers have gone down from 1.9 tackles per 90 final season to 1.4 this.
With Salah, Gakpo, Díaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Núñez and the lesser-spotted Federico Chiesa as choices in assault, the frontline is prone to preserve grabbing the headlines so long as the Premier League leaders preserve profitable.
But when Liverpool can keep as sturdy defensively as they’ve been so far, the query about their factors benefit might need to be about how a lot greater it may well get slightly than if anybody can catch them.
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