Roberto Firmino boasts higher xG than all three of Salah, Mane & Jota

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Roberto Firmino currently boasts a higher xG in the Premier League than all three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane & Diogo Jota. The Brazilian is flying under the radar.

Liverpool have looked virtually unstoppable this season. The Reds have racked up an incredible number of goals, scoring for fun against virtually every opponent.

In fact, they currently boast the world’s best front-three and the Premier League’s two top goalscorers. It’s quite sensational and there’s a case that no forwards are outperforming Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota in England right now.

As we wrote during the week, no regular forward boasts a higher xG than those three. It’s a fantastic statistic and one that goes a long way to showing just how impressive this trio is. Liverpool wouldn’t swap them for anything.

The three of them find chances for themselves as well as creating for others and do so better than anyone. How do you improve on that?

Well, Liverpool might have a way in Roberto Firmino.

Roberto Firmino shines for Liverpool

As Liverpool went on a run of eight wins in nine Premier League games post-international break, Firmino was missing. Injury kept him out of the starting XI throughout and he became a little bit of an afterthought.

After all, Salah, Mane and Jota looked perfect – is there even room for the no.9?

But Firmino is actually averaging an even higher xG than any of those three right now. He’s at 0.86 xG per 90 in the Premier League, having played around 4.7 90s when you combine his minutes (per FBref). That’s an extraordinary number – and explains how he’s got four goals in that time.

And so Firmino is very much a part of things in Liverpool’s sensational selection of forwards. He’s more than keeping up with everyone else statistically – he’s competing with them.

This has an important influence next month, too. With Salah and Mane disappearing to AFCON, having Firmino as an option with Jota still gives Liverpool two players who create chances for fun. That’s undoubtedly a massive help.