How has Liverpool become the most dominant team in the Premier League?
After becoming Premier League’s best-ever runners-up last season, one point behind Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, Liverpool’s title run has been put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, having won 27 of their 29 matches, it seems only a matter of time until the Reds are crowned Premier League champions. In fact, Jurgen Klopp’s team is on pace to become the greatest Premier League team in history.
Statistics suggest that this season’s record-breaking performance does not represent a big departure from last season’s run. As a matter of fact, some numbers may imply that the Reds were a better team last season. However, delving deeper into some basic statistics can help us understand how this season’s tour-de-force performance was only possible because Jurgen Klopp’s team managed to improve their efficiency and cut down on mistakes that cost them the title in the 2018/2019 Premier League season.
Liverpool won 97 out of 114 points (85.09%) last season, as opposed to this season’s tally of 82 points in 29 games (94.25%). Nevertheless, some statistics may suggest that the Reds’ impressive run this season shows a drop in production.
While their offensive output has declined from 2.2 to 2.13 goals per 90 minutes, we have also seen a slight drop in their defensive performance, conceding 0.68 goals per 90 minutes, as opposed to 0.54 goals per 90 minutes last season.
How could the Reds have improved their overall performance significantly if their goal difference has shrunk?
The histograms below show Liverpool’s winning margin (goal difference) in all games over the past two seasons (38 games in the 2018/2019 season and 29 games this season).
Unlike last season, the histograms show how the Reds have won a significant number of close games this season by a one-goal difference. While seven of their matches ended up in a draw last season, Liverpool has tied only one game this season. In addition, the Reds have won 14 games by one goal — nearly half of their games.
How did Liverpool manage to turn draws into wins? If we compare this season’s games won by one goal with last season’s draws, we can have a better grasp of their overall performance.
The table shows how Jurgen Klopp’s army has dictated the tempo by retaining possession and outshooting their opponents by a large margin. Despite winning the games by a slim margin, the Reds had 61.21% of possession and outshot their opponents by almost 6 shots per game (14.71 shots vs. 8.79 shots against per game). These numbers show how Liverpool played more aggressively than in last season’s games that ended in a draw. In those seven games, Liverpool maintained possession 57,5% of the time and outshot their opponents by over two shots per game — 9.86 vs. 7.57.
After losing the title to Manchester City by a single point, the Reds have applied maximum pressure to win these close games this season. Not only did they outshoot their opponents by a large margin, but they also recovered the ball more times and deeper in their opponent’s territory.
On average, Liverpool recovered the ball 87.93 times per game this season, as opposed to 82.14 times per game last season. This season, the Reds have recovered the ball more times than their opponent — 87.93 vs. 78.64. They also regained possession deep in their opponent’s territory more times — 19.86 vs. 9.79. By contrast, the opposing team recovered the ball more times in their own territory — 44.00 vs. 32.43.
These numbers show how effective Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing has been this season. Liverpool’s strategy to stifle their opponent in the final third by playing very aggressively and relentlessly trying to recover the ball as soon as they lose possession has paid dividends. By outshooting their opponents by a large margin and applying maximum pressure to regain possession in the final third, the Reds have turned draws into wins and inched closer to their ultimate goal.
