Liverpool played the second-most passes in the Premier League this season but had the fourth-best success rate as the club battled for the title, so which Reds players were the most wayward passers?
Only champions Manchester City produced a larger total of passes this term than the Reds, with the Citizens recording 26,132. Pep Guardiola’s side also competed 23,434 for an 89.7% conversion rate, ahead of Chelsea (87.1%), Tottenham Hotspur (85%) and the Anfield natives 84.9%, per WhoScored.
Jurgen Klopp’s men finished second to Manchester City for total passes with 23,588, and completed 20,032. The Reds’ tally for completed passes in the top-flight this term would still have seen the club rank third for total passes, with Chelsea claiming third with 23,179 – of which 20,200 were accurate.
Among the Liverpool players to feature in more than nine Premier League games this season, Curtis Jones registered the best pass conversion rate. He found a teammate with 90.46% of his 587 passes for 531 successful attempts, per SofaScore. The 21-year-old was the only Reds player above 90%.
Virgil van Dijk (on 89.53% with 2,369 from 2,646 passes), Thiago Alcantara (89.12% with 1,335 from 1,498), Joel Matip (88.53% with 2,053 from 2,319) and Ibrahima Konate (88.13% with 661 from 750) rounded out the top-five. So, who were Liverpool’s most wayward passers in the Premier League?
5) Mohamed Salah among Liverpool’s most wayward passers in 2021/22 Premier League
Mohamed Salah finished the Premier League term as Liverpool’s fifth-most wayward passer, among those to feature at least 10 times. The winger completed just 79.89% of his 1,079 attempts with 862 accurate passes. Yet they still led to Salah creating a joint team-high 18 big chances for 13 assists.
Salah’s success rate marked a decrease from last season when the Egyptian completed 83.69% of his 1,263 passes for 1,057. Yet he also ended last term having created 12 big chances for just five assists.
4) Roberto Firmino’s limited haul still saw him finish among Liverpool’s most wayward passers
Roberto Firmino only managed a limited haul compared to Liverpool’s other most wayward passers this season. The Brazilian only attempted 486 passes and completed 383 for four assists from three big chances created. Yet misplacing 103 passes returned Firmino a completion rate of just 78.81%.
The £29m ace had boasted a superior completion rate at the end of the 2020/21 season with 80.71% after finding a teammate with 1,050 of his 1,301 passes. His haul also led to registering seven assists.
3) Trent Alexander-Arnold had fourth-most accurate passes but third-worst completion rate
Trent Alexander-Arnold played the fourth-most accurate passes by a Liverpool player in the Premier League this season with 1,684. Only Van Dijk (2,369), Matip (2,053) and Jordan Henderson (1,844) found a teammate more often than the full-back. But Alexander-Arnold also needed 2,155 attempts.
His wayward efforts meant Alexander-Arnold ended the campaign with a completion rate of 78.14%. But the England international also created a joint team-high 18 big chances and registered 12 assists.
2) Sadio Mane earning Bayern Munich interest but among Liverpool’s most wayward 21/22 passers
Sadio Mane is earning interest from Bayern Munich this summer, but the Senegal winger was among Liverpool’s most wayward passers in the Premier League this season. Sport Bild claim the 30-year-old has agreed a three-year contract worth €20m-a-year (£330k-a/w), but the Reds want €50m (£43m).
Mane found a Liverpool teammate with 801 of his 1,036 attempted passes, for a completion rate of 77.32%. He also created nine big chances in the top-flight, but only ended the term with two assists.
1) Diogo Jota was Liverpool’s most wayward passer in the Premier League this season
Diogo Jota ended the Premier League season with the unwanted honour of being the most wayward Liverpool player for passes. The Portuguese registered the Reds’ worst completion rate among those to play in at least 10 games at just 74.87% with a total of 557 accurate attempts from his 744 passes.
Yet the forward still managed to create seven big chances and ended the campaign with four assists. His completion rate of 74.87% was also only a marginal decrease on the 74.88% he held in 2020/21.
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