“‘So many times we are creating more than we concede, but the end result has been far too many times that we lose a game of football,’ Liverpool head coach Arne Slot told BBC’s Match of the Day highlights show after their 1-1 Premier League home draw against Sunderland just over a week ago. Slot has a point. Using expected goals (xG) — a metric that evaluates the quality of each chance before the shot is taken — Liverpool have out-created their opponents in 17 of their 21 (81 per cent) Premier League and Champions League matches this season. Across Europe’s top five leagues, only four teams boast a higher percentage: Manchester City, Inter, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. Those four sides are all either leading their domestic competitions or sit no more than two points off the top, yet Slot’s side are 10th and trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by 10 points. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
NY Times/The Athletic: Liverpool lack a Plan A – minor tactical issues are creating a major problem