Liverpool's finishing touch deserts them at the crucial moment
Liverpool’s finishing touch deserts them at the crucial moment
At the crucial moment, Liverpool’s finishing touch has deserted them.
The Reds began a season-defining April with a 3-1 home win over Sheffield United which opened up a two-point lead over Arsenal and three-point advantage over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League – each with eight games to play.
Since then, Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour has faltered with two defeats, two draws and just a solitary win in their last five league games, effectively ending the German manager’s dream of bowing out with a second Premier League title.
In this period however, the frequency and quality of their opportunities have not dipped. In fact, Liverpool have actually taken more shots per game over these five matches than in their first 30 games – 23 to 20 – and their xG [expected goals] created of 2.3 per 90 has been exactly the same.
It is just the final touch which has been missing with their shot conversion rate of 12% in their first 30 halving to 6% in their last five. It is notable also that main man Mohammed Salah’s only league goal in April was a penalty at Old Trafford.
An untimely moment then to also begin allowing opponents more, and better quality, shots than they have done at any point this season.
An unusual bluntness in front of goal has been coupled with an uncharacteristic porousness in defence. Liverpool have faced an average of 11.2 shots in their last five games compared to 10.8 in their first 30 but 5.8 on target per match compared to 3.5 before the draw at Old Trafford on 7 April.
In their first 30 games only around 1 in 3 of the shots they gave up tested the goalkeeper but over the last five games every other shot has hit the target.
The proportion of their opponent’s shots off target has dropped from 40% to 28% and the proportion of their opponent’s shots they have blocked has dropped from 28% to 20% – meaning the defence are allowing shots from better positions and are failing to put themselves between the shot and the goal as often as earlier in the season.
It is as if the wave of emotion they have been riding since Klopp announced his departure is fizzling out before our eyes married with the fatigue of a grueling season, intense external pressure and inexperience in some quarters.
His successor – which appears likely to be Feynoord boss Arne Slot – will have clear areas to work on to make the Reds the finished article again, despite a solid and promising base to build upon from Klopp’s final season.