The Reds are becoming more and more unstoppable every other game, and having gotten their 6th win of the season – against West Brom on Saturday, they now sit in 3rd position on the log, with only goal difference separating them from Manchester City and Arsenal, both with the same number of points as Liverpool (20).
Having raked in 20 goals in just 9 league games, Liverpool deserves more credit for doing it without a proper and recognized striker.
Sturridge and Origi have played a combined 452 minutes of Premier League football without getting a goal, with only an assist coming from the former and this is the only contribution either of them has made to Liverpool’s 20 goals in the EPL thus far.
Mane, Milner and Coutinho are the team’s joint highest goalscorers with 4 goals each, while Lallana and makeshift striker Firmino follow closely with 3 strikes to their names.
The attacking quartet (Mane, Coutinho, Firmino and Lallana) has scored 9 league goals from open play at Anfield, accounting for almost 95% of all the team’s 11 home goals thus far. Hands down, these 4 prove that why Liverpool have the best attack in the EPL at the moment.
While Manchester City’s attacking quartet of Aguero (5), Sterling (4), Kelechi (3), Nolito (3) has gotten more goals (15) than their Liverpool counterparts (14), it is pertinent to note that only 2 of them are regular starters, and 2 are also primarily out-and-out strikers. Hence, Guardiola has a pool of resources and quality options to draw from, while Klopp has only those 4 options cum starters and 2 misfiring strikers.
Here is how their numbers compare with other top club’s attackers. Chelsea’s trio of Costa (7), Willian (2) and Hazard (4) has 13 strikes, and they are followed closely by Arsenal’s trio of Walcott (5), Sanchez (4) and Ozil (3), who have managed 12 goals in between them.
Manchester United’s Zlatan (4) and Rashford (3) have 7, the same as Tottenham’s Son (4) and Alli (3). Arsenal and Chelsea have gotten 19 league goals, while Tottenham and Manchester United have 13 each.
In the final third, Liverpool have created more chances than any other team (135), highlighting how efficient and thorough the team has been in attack this term. Tottenham follows with 120 created chances, while Manchester City and Chelsea follow closely with 117 and 115 chances created respectively. Manchester United are at a distant 103, with Arsenal recording the lowest chance creation with just 94 attempts.
Klopp has been able to make do with the few available quality attacking options in his team, and it can’t be denied his playing philosophy has been the major influence in the way his side’s attack has become so ruthless in front of goal.
They have completed most passes (5516) than any other team, and continue to exert dominance on opposition’s backline. Liverpool could be the team to beat this season, and they are powered by an attacking line that will wreck damage to any side any day.
We saw glimpses of what the German tactician is capable of doing with Liverpool in flashes last season, but following a pre-season drilling with the team, they have overcome inconsistency and continue to look title-bound with every performance. It could be their season after all said and done.