One of the most important aspects of attacking football that contributes significantly to the ascendancy of a side is its ability to create clear-cut chances. May it be from the wings or may it be through the center, it is the ability of the teams to flip in those chances that allows them to rack up the important numbers.
In one such mind-boggling piece of stat, Liverpool has aced all their counterparts in the Premier League, thanks to an explosive brand of football from their wingers and their collective midfield that has contributed handsomely to these staggering numbers.
This is what Pep Lijnders had to say about Liverpool
Liverpool assistant manager, Pep Lijnders highlighted this first that the fortunes of the game can be changed based on the number of quality chances one creates. Ideally, the major difference between the Reds and the other teams has been their attempt to blast those long-rangers whenever they have been pushed out of their position.
Ideally, caught off-guard, they try and force their thunderbolts straight into the back of the net and speaking practically, we all know that it needs a connection of a lifetime for the ball to go in from the edges of the box.
Liverpool, on the contrary, has kept a calm head and has pretty emphatically increased the numbers in the attacking third whenever they have sniffed an opportunity to carve those chances, allowing their attackers to lay hands on the glorious spoils.
Though this metric may not be something to brag about, it can be a clear indicator of the fact that why Liverpool has been such a successful team under Juergen Klopp. Talking about the numbers, Liverpool has upstaged their counterparts in 20 out of 26 games in 2021-22 while being on the wrong side just a couple of times.
Their defence hasn’t been a pro at stalling these opportunities as they lie in the bottom half alongside Brighton, Crystal Palace and Wolves. However, their attacking half has ensured the fact that they remain at the top of the remaining teams.
As reported by Liverpool Echo, the Reds have averaged a staggering 4.1 clear-cut chances in every game that is a shade better than league leaders, Manchester City who are currently sitting in the second position with numbers of 3.0 per game.
A glaring example of the dominion that teams get with the higher number of clear-cut chances was their thumping win over Leeds United where they put half a dozen past the undercooked outfit.
This could have also helped them to lift the Carabao Cup, had it not been for a couple of fine saves from Edouard Mendy. The header from Virgil Van Dijk in the 90th minute was the Reds’ 149th clear-cut chance in all competitions in the ongoing year.
If someone deserves a special mention for such staggering numbers, it has to be the English wingback, Trent Alexander Arnold. He has carved 19 clear-cut chances to allow Liverpool to impose such hefty numbers.
Liverpool’s next assignment is their cup tie against Norwich City that is slated to be played on Wednesday night where the Reds will be hoping to put a step closer to another silverware in the season.
