Liverpool's Counter Attack Ceiling Leaves Arsenal Staring At The Floor
Liverpool's counter attacking has set records this season. While the defending of opposition fast breaks is not as strong, Arne Slot may have solved a problem.
Football is a game of transitions, of back and forth. You have a go, we have a go. It’s why teams have similar totals of failed passes in a match no matter how many each side attempts.
When possession turns over, the possibility of a counter attack opens up. As Liverpool have taken more shots and scored more goals in this fashion than any Premier League team since records began, we recently took a closer look at their data.
It’s now time to assess the defence. This was a big problem during Jürgen Klopp’s penultimate season at the helm. The ageing midfield crumbled, allowing opposing teams to run through the heart of the Reds’ team with little to stop them.
Liverpool conceded six league goals to counter attacks (a.k.a. fast breaks) in 2022/23, as many as in the preceding four seasons combined. This was corrected last season, with the reinvigorated midfield helping enormously.
Has Arne Slot maintained or improved that further? Yes. And no. There’s a strange quirk to the goals Liverpool have conceded on the counter this season too.