The stat that shows just how unstoppable Liverpool are right now
Cameron Smith
- 26 Oct 2021 14:25 BST
- 4 min read
Liverpool may not be top of the Premier League table, but they are looking just as likely as anyone of reclaiming the crown that comes with glory in the English top flight.
Chelsea currently lead the way, but Jurgen Klopp's men are only one point behind, with Manchester City one point further back than the Reds.
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Those three clubs appear to have already broken free from the rest of the league, and the title race has begun.
All three had big wins over the most recent gameweek, with Chelsea beating Norwich 7-0, Man City defeating Brighton 4-1, and Liverpool, of course, handing Manchester United a 5-0 loss on their own turf, and none show any signs of slowing down.
While Chelsea hold the lead on actual points, taking a deep dive into the statistics, Liverpool will perhaps count themselves unlucky not to be leading as of now.
Of course, they dropped points at home to a 10-man Chelsea side, away to Brentford and against Man City, but they are the only side left in the division yet to lose a game.
But, how well are they actually performing this season?
Deadly in attack and rock solid in defence
Virgil van Dijk's return to fitness has unsurprisingly been a major boost in regards to Liverpool's defensive structure, but he's also helped their attack.
Fabinho may be injured now, but at the start of the season, his presence in midfield, rather than central defence enabled Liverpool to play a different way, and back to how they used to.
With Fabinho sitting, the other midfielders in the trio are given more license to press, and win the ball high, hence getting the ball closer to the opposition's goal quicker, which helps the likes of Salah and Sadio Mane.
Furthermore, Van Dijk's ability on the ball means Liverpool themselves are less likely to lose the ball in their own half, and the Dutchman's ability to switch play effortlessly ensures the Reds can move a deep block around, and create small spaces to exploit.
Of course, Van Dijk is far from the only reason Liverpool have improved, but he's certainly helped. In fact, this improvement can be seen by Liverpool's net xG total.
Net xG is simply xG for minus xG against. The higher the net xG, the more dominant a team is.
As this graph shows, Liverpool are currently operating at the highest level in the entire Premier League. Only Manchester City can get close, and even Pep Guardiola's side are over three goals behind the Reds.
Interestingly, Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea are way down with a net xG of 4.21, which is below both West Ham, and Brentford.
Manchester United can only muster 2.03, but the real shock is Tottenham, who have a net xG of -7.62, the third worst in the entire league.
However, Liverpool's dominance in this regard is the real talking point. Not only is Mohamed Salah scoring everything that comes his way, but the team are creating so many opportunities.
Even if Salah experiences a drop-off in his goal return, the net xG tally suggests Liverpool will still be creating enough chances to mount a title charge.
Furthermore, the balance between attack and defence at Anfield is clearly the best in the league right now. With a settled backline finally able to play together after last season's struggles, Klopp has once again managed to ensure Liverpool are not only devastating in attack, but rock solid at the back.
Man City are obviously close to Liverpool in this regard, but the statistics show that even Guardiola's side can't match the Reds.
It's a sign of promise for Klopp, who will know that his team is primed and ready for another title charge.
They've conceded the third least amount of goals in the Premier League this season, behind Chelsea and Man City, but with 27 goals scored, their attack has certainly been the best.
If they can keep this attack firing on all cylinders, then Liverpool will simply continue to blow teams away, and reclaiming their Premier League crown will certainly be on the cards.
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