Liverpool’s loss to Everton was a real blow to the Reds’ hopes of winning the Premier League, and there were two key metrics by which Liverpool were outperformed.
It isn’t very often that Liverpool supporters are the ones having to keep their heads down around the city following a derby, but that is certainly the case this time.
Everton were jubilant after their first win against Liverpool in front of fans since 2010, as they moved from 16th in the Premier League to 16th in the Premier League.
While the Reds dominated periods of the match, and should have scored at least a couple, they were statistically battered in one area of the play.
Reds in the air
Everton won the match thanks to their superiority at set-pieces, an area Liverpool have typically excelled in defending under Klopp.
At Goodison Park, though, Sean Dyche’s team were like giants to the Red shirts who were routinely beaten in the air.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal was the high point, but throughout the 90 minutes Everton dominated Liverpool aerially, with only Virgil van Dijk able to get near the Blues.
According to FotMob, only four Liverpool players won aerial duels all night. The captain won nine, more than anyone on the pitch, and Ibrahima Konate won four while Jarell Quansah and Alexis Mac Allister both won one.
This meant that of the the top 10 players aerial duel winners on the night, just two were Liverpool players. The problem was most noticeable at corners and set-pieces, where Everton consistently won the first ball.
Same problem on the ground
Luis Diaz was probably Liverpool’s standout player on the night, and not just for his ability to drive at the Everton defence.
He was also the Reds’ most tenacious player, winning both of his tackles and seven of his 13 ground duels.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of any other Liverpool player. Like in the aerial duels department, they were outperformed in the ground duels statistic, having just two players in the top six.
On the whole, it was another disappointing showing from Liverpool who were made to pay for not starting the game with enough intensity in front of a raucous Goodison crowd.
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