Liverpool shamed by creativity table with Wirtz, Barcola and co in bottom three
Liverpool have spent £435million on their attack in the last two summers yet only one club has created fewer big chances this season.
The Reds have made a stuttering start to the Premier League campaign, winning only two games of their six, with the defeat to Manchester City leaving them languishing in ninth, level on points with newly-promoted Ipswich.
There are numerous teething problems for Andoni Iraola to address while he gets his feet under the table at Anfield, not least their lack of potency and creativity.
At least under Arne Slot last season, for all their faults, Liverpool created the fourth-highest number of big chances in the Premier League – just four fewer than champions Arsenal.
This term, though, with an attack featuring three £100million-plus stars, the Reds have created only five big chances in six games.
Only Coventry have carved out fewer big chances – and the Sky Blues have played one game fewer.
Against City, they created an xG of only 0.86. Perhaps because they were missing the two players who have created five of their big chances.
Dominik Szoboszlai is responsible for carving out three big chances, while Cody Gakpo has laid on two. Both were absent from Iraola’s XI beaten by City with injuries sustained during the international break.
The other big chance this season came from a substitute who was ‘all over the place’ when he came on against City.
Szoboszlai and Gakpo have both created 11 chances overall – the same number as Florian Wirtz.
Wirtz has three assists from an expected assists of 6.85. But Jamie Carragher has called for Iraola to drop the German in favour of Ryan Gravenberch.
This summer’s big-money signing Bradley Barcola – weirdly tepid against City – is sixth in the Liverpool squad for chances created but, so far, the France star is yet to carve out a big chance.
City have recorded the most big chances – decide for yourself if that’s even relevant anymore – but the Blues are among five teams to have created three times the number that Liverpool have managed.
Even Manchester United – this Manchester United – are on double the number Liverpool have.
MORE: How Liverpool exposed Man City but Wirtz and Barcola flopped again
