Goals Scored and Conceded Liverpool

Previous Seasons: 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16, 2014-15, 2013-14, 2012-13, 2011-12

Could Liverpool keep up last season's insane scoring pace? Almost. And "almost" was pretty damned good considering last season's ferocious nonsense.

So, yeah, Liverpool scored 20 fewer goals than in 2017-18, playing three fewer games. But Liverpool scored more in the Premier League this season, with 89 goals compared to last season's 84.

And Liverpool's scoring – in the league, in Europe – was still extraordinarily good.



The difference in scoring between this season and last is the Champions League. 47 goals in 2017-18, 24 goals in 2018-19. Liverpool scored 24 goals in just four CL matches last season: 7-0 Maribor, 7-0 Spartak, 5-0 Porto, 5-2 Roma.

But Liverpool won the Champions League this season, after falling at the last hurdle last season. Because goals scored – while incredibly, incredibly fun – aren't the end all, be all. You need to be decent at the other end of the pitch as well.

Liverpool were more than decent at the other end of the pitch.



We know the attack wobbled at times. Early in the season, adapting to 4-2-3-1 and Salah as a striker, and in late January-February, those in-the-end-costly 1-1 and 0-0 draws. But the defense rarely did.

And, for what it's worth, xG tracks quite closely in attack all season long. And xG allowed stayed surprisingly consistently all season long.

That mid-season rise in goals allowed, to barely above a goal-per-game average for a couple of games, is so noticeable because this defense was historically great for the vast majority of the season.



Incidentally, it remains hilarious that Liverpool almost won the league in 2013-14 with that many goals conceded.

Anyway.

2018-19 saw Liverpool's best defense in at least 13 seasons. Because, unsurprisingly, I have caveats for the above chart. Well, really, just one caveat.

That caveat is that it could be longer since.

2018-19 saw the fewest Liverpool goals in a league campaign since 1978-79, when Liverpool won the league conceding a hilariously low 16 goals in 42 games. Otherwise known as "40 years ago." 2005-06 was close, and damned good, and maybe better because Liverpool conceded fewer in all competitions while playing that many damned games, but I'll also remind that 2005-06 saw Liverpool start the Champions League at the first qualifying round, conceding three in six games against the likes of TNS, FBK Kaunas, and CSKA Sofia. Without those games, Liverpool's average that season is 0.732, barely worse than this season's. For what it's worth.

Anyway. Recent history.

Liverpool actually allowed more shots in the Premier League in 2018-19 compared to 2017-18 – 307 this season to 283 last season. Liverpool allowed 310 in 2016-17. So, par for the recent course, I guess.

But Liverpool allowed 53 clear-cut chances in the league last season, with 25 scored. An average of 1.4 per game, with nearly half going in and only 36% of those on-target saved. They allowed 54 in 2016-17, with 26 scored – 1.4 per game and 37% saved. Liverpool allowed 39 clear-cut chances this season – down to 1.02 per game – with only 11 scored and 56% of those on-target saved by Alisson.

Yes, there are a few concerns. 12 of Liverpool's 38 goals conceded – 31.6% – came from set plays. Which is a vastly higher proportion than recent seasons. And 12 conceded from set plays is almost exactly in line with recent seasons; Liverpool conceded 13 in both 2016-17 and 2017-18. But when the goals conceded total drops precipitously, it's slightly surprising when the amount of set plays goals conceded remains the same. At the same time, Liverpool can still be picked apart on the counter, even if far less often, with fast break goals given up against PSG, Wolves, and Fulham. We still got a handful of notable defensive errors, even from Alisson and van Dijk.

But at this point, it's nit-picking.

The opposition's scoring less, and a lot has to do with the opposition finding it harder to get good chances in good locations, which had very much been a problem in past seasons. The opposition doesn't get many shots, but those that they do are good chances in good positions. Not so much this season. But at the other end of the pitch, Liverpool are getting more and more in those good positions.





More Danger Zone goals in each of Klopp's seasons, with an absolute mountain in this one, both in proportion and total. Far fewer from outside the box, especially this season (how's Barcelona, Phil?). And the opposite is mostly the case for the opposition. Fewer Danger Zone goals, because fewer Danger Zone chances. Outside the box goals remained fairly consistent, because they aren't many and even the likes of Karius and Mignolet usually saved those. And there are more wide box goals because there were more wide box shots. That's what Liverpool usually gave the opposition, when they gave them anything.

In case you wanted more statistical validation, I got Liverpool's xG per shot this season as 0.137 versus 0.119 last season, with xG per shot allowed at 0.096 this season compared to 0.114 last season. And I love statistical validation because it makes me feel smart.

And, also, Liverpool's opponent didn't score a single penalty all season long. I can't remember that ever happening before. With only Mahrez missing from the spot. So they're not only talented and resilient and well-coached, they're clever and lucky. It's a very good combination.

This Liverpool attack and this Liverpool defense were a pretty good combination.

A few other assorted notes:

• I complained about how many late goals Liverpool conceded last season – both right before halftime and in the final few minutes. There were a lot fewer this season, even when considering how many fewer goals were conceded in total. And Liverpool could not stop scoring in those final few minutes. 32 goals between the 76th and 90th minutes, nine more than any other 15-minute block. Seven of those 32 came in the 90th minute or added time. And 20 of those 32 came with Liverpool behind, level, or only ahead by one goal, crucial late goals to win or cement the game, or at least take a point.

• This is the first season that I can remember when Liverpool almost had as many left-footed goals as right-footed goals. There's Salah, of course, but also a surprising six from Mané and a handful from Shaqiri and Sturridge. And also a higher proportion of headed goals than usual too, with another surprising return from Mané, as well as van Dijk et al. Of course, you're gonna score headed goals with Robertson and Alexander-Arnold crossing the ball.

• Not a ton of prolific assist-scorer combinations this season. Firmino to Salah, Salah to Firmino, and Mane to Salah last season all dwarfed this season's combinations. But I guess that's not surprising when Robertson and Alexander-Arnold are tops in assists, and not only do they rarely if ever score themselves, they spread the wealth; Alexander-Arnold set up nine different scorers, Robertson eight.

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