Two Liverpool players, zero chances: Worrying stat vs Everton will force Jurgen Klopp into a rethink

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A worrying Liverpool stat from their draw vs Everton should force Jurgen Klopp into a rethink. The Reds used two playmakers at Goodison.

Liverpool’s midfield against Everton on Saturday was an exciting one. With Jordan Henderson and Thiago both out, Jurgen Klopp opted to play two attacking midfielders in the role.

While we didn’t see it coming so soon, we did wonder if this was a plan for the season. Signing Darwin Nunez meant Liverpool wouldn’t have a False 9 – the player who typically links their midfield to attack. That means the link must come from midfield.

And in theory, that’s not a bad thing. Nunez pushes defences back, opening up space between the lines. A no.10-style player should thrive there. Well, at Goodison Park, Liverpool tried two.

It didn’t quite work, however – and that might force a rethink.

Worrying Liverpool stat vs Everton

Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho both played between the lines as attacking midfielders, with Fabinho sitting behind them to cover defensively. That’s a great system, on paper, and one that could thrive.

What we saw against Everton, though, was that neither Elliott nor Carvalho received the ball in positions to create chances. Nothing shows that better than the fact neither player created a chance in the game (per Whoscored).

That’s not to say that they played badly but Liverpool lacked decisive passes through Everton’s initial press. It meant that the Reds’ creativity came from wide positions – a recurring theme.

Liverpool are currently very reliant on wide players to create chances. Mohamed Salah leads the league in key passes, in fact, as he’s becoming more of a creator than a goalscorer. That’s certainly not how the Reds want things.

But it won’t change until Liverpool are more decisive through the middle. They need players who can pass through the press and find attacking midfielders in dangerous positions. Only then will the likes of Elliott and Carvalho truly do damage in those areas. Thiago is that type of player but he’s injured. And injured quite frequently.

This was a problem at Old Trafford, too, and it appears Liverpool have moved to rectify it. Arthur is exactly the type of passer who thrives on playing through a press, giving the squad a second Thiago, in effect.

And so maybe Klopp needs a rethink. Arthur might need to get a sizeable role in midfield faster than planned, if only to make sure he’s up to speed quickly. Because as things stand, Liverpool need him and Thiago in their midfield.