Liverpool is showing us that they can beat you in more ways than one
Liverpool dominated their opponents during December not just on the scoresheet, but on the stats sheet as well.
On December 7th, at Bournemouth, Liverpool scored in the 34th, 43rd, and 53rd minute en route to a 3-0 victory. According to understat.com, the home side had an expected goals (xG) of 0.15, zero shots on target, and averaged only 9.4 passes before a defensive action in Liverpool’s half (PPDA). A week later at home, Liverpool took down Watford, 2-0. The Hornets had very little sting as their xG was 1.0, with two shots on goal, and their opponent’s PPDA was a stifling 5.04, according to understat.com.
The festive season offered three huge tests.
Second in the table Leicester City were hosts to the Reds on Boxing Day. Klopp’s charges took the home side behind a Louisiana prison tool shed. James Milner converted a penalty in the 70th minute putting the visitors up two goals. Seven minutes later the score stood at 4-0, which was the final. Leicester City had no shots on target in the match. Liverpool’s PPDA was 11.43 while Leicester’s xG was 0.1 according to understat.com’s match analysis. This impressive performance was followed up three days later with a 1-0 victory at home against Wolves. Liverpool managed to give up only two shots on target to Wolverhampton while keeping their xG to 0.36 and had a PPDA of 6.27, per understat.com.
On Thursday, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson completed his fifth straight clean sheet, and like Baby Yoda, took over internet memes by making an inspiring save off the right foot of Sheffield United’s Oliver McBurnie in the 86th minute. This was the closest any opponent had come in five matches to getting a ball in the back of the net. Just like with every other goal opportunity that had been thrown at them, the Reds merely knocked it away like a mother with a fly swatter in July.
The back-line of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joseph Gomez, Virgil Van Dijk, and Andrew Robertson has featured prominently during this five-match run. They have also gotten contributions at the back from James Milner and Dejan Lovern. In the last month, they have created a nearly impenetrable wall and the numbers prove it.
According to understat.com, in their last five matches, Liverpool’s combined expected goals against (xGA) was 2.29 (the next closest club had a xGA of 5.0), their expected goal differential was +10.85, and their expected points (xPTS) was 12.96. These numbers were all the best in the Premier League and it was not even close.