After ending up as runners-up in the English Premier League 2021/22 title race, Liverpool have made a relatively poor start to the 2022/23 campaign. The Reds are 15 points behind the league leaders in 14 games played so far this season. One of the biggest struggles for Jurgen Klopp’s men is their form away from Anfield. The Reds have just collected five points in six away games, losing half of them. Last season, Liverpool had the second-best away record. They managed to win 13 games, draw four, and lose only two. This season, they have already lost three matches away from home. We now look at some of the stats that show how the Reds have struggled away from home.
Liverpool is currently sixth in the English Premier League. They have scored 28 goals with an average xG rate of 2.04 and conceded 17 with an average xGA rate of 1.44. The above graph shows the percentile rank of the team in comparison to the other teams in the league. It shows that Liverpool has a very high percentile rank in all the departments. They have dominated in most of the games but have failed to convert them into three-pointers most of the time. They press high, recover the ball, enter the opposition’s penalty area, and take shots towards the goal.
Low conversion rate away from home
Liverpool have played eight games at home and scored 21 goals, for an average of over 2.5 goals per match. Overall, the team takes 15.8 shots per 90 minutes and has an accuracy rate of 37.4%. The above viz shows that Liverpool players like to score their goals from just outside the six-yard box. They work their way into the box and convert goal-scoring chances.
Things have been a bit different away from home. The Reds have just netted seven goals in six games and have an average xG rate of 1.82. The average number of goals per game has decreased to 1.17 goals. Along with this, the number of shots is lower than the average at 13.5, and the accuracy rate is 39.5%. The above viz shows the xG map of the team in their defeat at Nottingham Forest. The Reds took 15 shots but missed the target from close range. This was their third defeat away from home. Last season, the Reds scored 45 goals away from home.
Defensive problems
The defence has been the biggest concern for Jurgen Klopp this season. They have conceded 17 goals in just 14 matches. Last season, the team conceded only 26 goals in the entire season. The average xGA of the team is 1.44, and they concede 1.21 goals per match. Alisson has just managed to keep four clean sheets this time, and last year he had 20 in 36 league games.
In six away games, Liverpool have conceded nine goals in total. They have managed to keep one clean sheet, and that was in a goalless draw against Everton. The stats of the team are a bit similar at home and away from home, but the defence has leaked some goals on their travels. The above visualisation depicts the team’s defensive territory during their 3-2 loss to league leaders Arsenal. Liverpool gave away a penalty in the match and conceded three goals. This is the highest number of goals conceded by them in a single match this season.
Liverpool’s struggles in attack and defence have led to a poor start to the season. They have failed to convert their chances and let in some goals. With a few injury concerns, Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to change the team’s fortunes when they return to action. He will also look to recruit some players in the coming transfer window. They face Aston Villa next in the league.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine