Slot frustrated by Liverpool’s ‘ridiculous’ xG during ongoing slump

Arne Slot has voiced his ‘frustration’ at one ‘ridiculous’ statistical development which has been prevalent throughout Liverpool’s depressing run of outcomes over the previous couple of months.

The Reds have now misplaced 9 of their final 12 matches in all competitions, with the previous week seeing them ship three-goal defeats at Anfield, main some journalists to query whether or not the Dutchman’s job may come beneath menace if the losses proceed to pile up.

The 47-year-old has stated that he’s spoken to the LFC hierarchy for the reason that 4-1 drubbing by PSV Eindhoven final evening and has vowed to ‘combat on’ by way of his group’s depressing state of affairs, with the underlying numbers maybe suggesting that the Merseysiders have been extra aggressive than the outcomes would point out.

Slot bemoans Liverpool’s ‘ridiculous’ xG figures

At a press convention this afternoon, Slot has requested what he takes from Liverpool’s xG stats from their final two video games, which have seen them exceed their opponents’ cumulative complete however lose these matches by an combination rating of 7-1.

The Reds boss replied (through Liverpool FC on YouTube): “Frustration. xG doesn’t all the time inform you the precise story, as a result of when do you get these possibilities? After you concede, you are usually extra open than once you’re 1-0 or 2-0 up.

“Towards Actual Madrid and Aston Villa we hardly conceded an opportunity, and that has occurred in lots of extra video games once we have been main, however once you’re chasing a recreation you usually concede extra [chances].

“We don’t reward ourselves for good phases of the sport and that’s finest proven in our xG created, as a result of it’s ridiculous. Usually you rating greater than your xG, however I didn’t want xG to know we missed a great deal of possibilities.”

How does Liverpool’s xG stack up throughout their 9 defeats?

Many soccer followers detest listening to about xG, particularly when the one statistic which really counts is the variety of objectives scored and conceded, however it’s attention-grabbing nonetheless to look at the xG of Liverpool and their respective opponents from the 9 matches that they’ve misplaced over the previous two months.

Fixture
Closing rating
Liverpool xG
Opponent xG

Crystal Palace (A)
1-2
2.1
2.9

Galatasaray (A)
0-1
1.7
1.7

Chelsea (A)
1-2
1.9
1

Man United (H)
1-2
2.6
1.3

Brentford (A)
2-3
2.2
2.7

Crystal Palace (H)
0-3
0.6
1

Man Metropolis (A)
0-3
0.7
1.5

Nottingham Forest (H)
0-3
1.9
1.6

PSV Eindhoven (H)
1-4
2.3
2.2

Complete
6-23
16
15.9

*Figures through FBref and Sofascore

It’s instantly obvious from compiling the figures that, though Liverpool have really been the equals of their opponents throughout the 9 matches mixed by way of xG, they’ve woefully underperformed by way of the precise scoring and concession of objectives.

They’ve really ‘received’ 4 and ‘drawn’ a kind of video games on xG, with the Chelsea and Manchester United defeats being significantly galling in that regard, and it’s solely within the two losses to Palace and the Man Metropolis mauling that they have been comprehensively outplayed.

Whereas Slot makes a good level about his group being left extra open once they go behind in matches and are left chasing a end result, he’ll additionally know that the underlying stats rely for little when the Reds have amassed such a daunting assortment of losses.

The top coach can’t legislate for evident particular person errors which result in objectives being conceded, however he can adapt his tactical strategy to make Liverpool tougher to beat structurally, and within the short-term he is perhaps pressured to compromise on his beliefs if it’d assist his facet to get again to profitable methods.

The xG consolation blanket can’t proceed to cowl over the chilly, arduous actuality that the defending Premier League champions have misplaced as many video games up to now two months as they did in the entire of final season.

You possibly can watch Slot’s full post-PSV press convention through Empire of the Kop on YouTube: