Premier League stats show 2nd-place Liverpool far from their best

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Premier League stats show that Liverpool aren’t anywhere near their best – despite being 2nd in the table after six games.

Liverpool sit second in the Premier League right now but they really aren’t playing anywhere near their best. The 7-2 defeat against Aston Villa certainly hinted to that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLT0FRBZVNQ

That isn’t the only game where Liverpool looked off. The opener against Leeds United saw them ship three goals at Anfield. They really should have seen off Everton at Goodison Park. They could have won more comfortably against Sheffield United.

But a look into the Premier League stats for the season so far show underlying problems. Problems that Liverpool can and will correct.

Big chances

Liverpool have missed the most ‘big chances’ in the Premier League this season. By some distance, too. The rankings go up in nice increments of one until you get to the top – then it jumps from eight to 11.

That means Liverpool are missing almost two big chances a game. By comparison, Manchester United have missed two all season. Everton have missed six – a little over half of their neighbours’.

Now, the Reds do miss a lot. Even last season, they were third on the list with 65 from their 38 games. That average is roughly the same as this season but the fact they’re so clearly the worst suggests they’re underperforming.

We’ve seen a lot of goals this season as teams take advantage of open games. Liverpool, however, aren’t taking advantage at the same rate as others. Give them time, and they’ll surely catch up.

Dispossessed

This is the big one. Liverpool are currently the third-worst when it comes to dispossessions – and that’s not normal. Teams have won it from them 68 times in six games, an average of 11 times per game.

If that average was the same last season, they’d have lost it 430 times over 38 games. That, again, would have been third-worst in the league.

Instead, the champions lost it 306 times – the fourth-best in the league. That’s significant, too, as they were the only side you’d consider possession-based in the best six.

Liverpool, then, are not firing on all cylinders. It makes the fact that they’re still 2nd quite remarkable, in fact, as this is a team that will only get better.