While the dramatic nature of Darwin Nunez‘s late goals made Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brentford feel like a close contest, the stats told a different story.
You would have been forgiven for predicting a high-scoring affair between Brentford and Liverpool, given the 50 goals scored in 11 Premier League matches played at the Gtech Community Stadium this season – more than at any other ground in the top flight.
Ultimately, of course, we were made to wait until the 91st minute for the first on Saturday, but this hadn’t been for a lack of trying.
In fact, Liverpool took an astonishing 37 shots during the match. That is more than any team have had away from home in the Premier League since Opta’s records began in the 2003/04 season!
It was also the joint-second highest tally of shots from a team in a Premier League match in the last decade – six more than any away team in that time, reported Andrew Beasley.
Just eight of Saturday’s 37 shots taken by Liverpool players were on target, though, with FotMob‘s xG (expected goals) rating of 3.43 underperformed on by the Reds.
Even if the game had finished 0-0, it would have made enjoyable viewing for those neutrals able to watch, as Brentford played a brave style and took 11 shots of their own but missed both of their ‘big chances’.
Mo Salah’s chance-creation
Mo Salah hasn’t scored in his last three starts – a drought by this season’s standards – but Saturday still saw him influence Arne Slot‘s side greatly despite not netting.
According to FotMob, Liverpool’s No. 11 created seven chances against Brentford, more than any Liverpool player in a Premier League match this season.
Salah’s creative output came to a total expected assists (xA) rating of 0.43, but it was Trent Alexander-Arnold who came out on top in that regard.
He registered 0.71 xA and, most importantly, set Nunez up for his first in injury time.
From right-back, the No. 66 had more touches (85), played more passes into the final third (7) and produced more accurate crosses (5/12) than anyone else on the pitch.
Alexander-Arnold also created five chances, second only to Salah’s seven on the day.
Arne Slot explains Darwin Nunez threat
With Luis Diaz struggling to threaten Mark Flekken in Brentford‘s goal, Slot brought Nunez on in the 65th minute and Liverpool suddenly had a player with different attributes they could work off.
Despite eventually scoring the match-winning goals, the Uruguayan did somewhat frustrate before the late drama, as he put wide a good headed chance and blazed over with an optimistic long-range effort.
In the end, though, his misses mattered not and Slot spoke about how the No. 9 can play in this side.
“The first one was a long build-up, the second one was a counter-attack,” the coach began.
“He can, of course, score his goals against a low block because he’s a striker and he’s a threat in crosses as well. Immediately after he came on, he had quite a good chance when Robbo (Andy Robertson) crossed it in.
“But if it’s about strikers or if it’s about the team, if we would not have scored today in the last five minutes then the headlines would have been Liverpool drops points again and no one would have told you [about] 37 shots on target.
“What a display. How many teams were able against Brentford to have 37 shots on target during a game? And now because of us scoring two, there is probably a bit of emphasis on that fact as well.”
All this isn’t to suggest Liverpool should stick with Nunez for the long-term, but if Slot can help maintain his confidence for the second half of the season, the Reds will be better placed to lift the title – and that’s all everyone really wants.
FotMob is an essential app for every fan to keep up to date with their team or follow football worldwide, their incredible new features provide all you could ever want and information you never knew you needed! You can download the FotMob App here.
Fan Comments