The Pressure Has Dropped But The Heat Has Risen

Liverpool are pressing less than in recent years, as your eyes will tell you. But the data says their press has become more efficient.

Things have understandably become negative around Liverpool of late. You think the Reds’ performances deserve criticism until you hear Andy Robertson speak about Diogo Jota after helping Scotland seal World Cup qualification for the first time since 1998, and… well, rather than what I had started writing for this week’s Friday post, here’s something else.

The Liverpool of Jürgen Klopp was founded on the bedrock of a ferocious high press. One of the changes Arne Slot implemented when he took over was to dial the pressing back a bit. His Reds suffering fewer injuries was likely no coincidence.

Things have eased off even further in 2025/26. Per the Statsbomb data on Fantasy Football Scout, Liverpool averaged 229 possession-adjusted pressures per match in Klopp’s final campaign, the most of any side in the Premier League. That figure dropped to 211 last term (placing the Reds third in the standings) and sits at 198 (the fourth most) after 11 matches this season.

These numbers won’t surprise Kopites. The feeling is that Liverpool’s press is not as effective as it once was, with opponents able to play through the Reds’ structure too easily. Another issue is that some teams go over rather than through, illustrating that some of the tactics responsible for Liverpool’s drop in pressures are the opposition’s, not just Slot’s.

The data tells a different tale. It suggests the Reds’ press is more effective in 2025/26 than in either of the preceding two seasons. As many of the top performing clubs across the last three campaigns are from the current one, it suggests rates will cool. Even so, Liverpool look far more effective than we might assume.

The class of 2025/26 can afford a dip, they have got ample room for manoeuvre. Liverpool regained possession within five seconds of applying a pressure 35.1 times per match in 2023/24, 35.6 last season and 46.8 this term. Possession adjusting those figures spits out new numbers of 45.3, 42.3 and 60.0 respectively, with the latter the highest of any Premier League team in this three-season study.

Not only has the Liverpool press improved, their ability to win the ball high up the pitch has helped generate a few goals. After highlighting their wastefulness with build-up and direct attacks in the last edition of this newsletter, perhaps this is the positive the Reds can focus on ahead of a favourable run of fixtures.