Michael Reid’s data exposes the truth behind Liverpool’s shocking form | OneFootball

It hasn’t been the start to the season we hoped for.

After winning each of our first five Premier League games, Liverpool have lost five of the last six, raising questions about what’s really going on under Arne Slot.

Liverpool’s defensive structure under Arne Slot

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Michael Reid on Substack highlighted six worrying trends, starting with defensive fragility.

The Reds have conceded 36 goals since May, the second-most of any club in Europe’s top five leagues.

Conceding from counter-attacks, set-pieces, long-range efforts, and errors has become a recurring theme.

While Slot is aiming for a controlled approach to preserve fitness, it’s clear that opponents aren’t being forced long by our press as they were under Klopp.

*PPDA (passes allowed per defensive action)

Even the champions’ slow build-up is costing us. Liverpool average more possession than ever (60.7%) but fewer sequences end in shots or touches in the box than in previous campaigns.

With our new midfield rebuild, young players like Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch are adapting but the tempo hasn’t yet matched what we achieved last season, as Robbie Fowler pointed out when criticising summer recruitment.

Pressing data reveals both problems and promise

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Despite these issues, Pat Nevin stated that the league table “does not give the entire truth.”

The narrow margins in the top half suggest there’s still time to recalibrate, particularly with the international break providing a chance to reset the press and defensive organisation.

Away form is alarming – we’ve lost 50% of away games in 2025 – but home dominance remains intact with 17 wins in 23 games.

The Manchester City loss, while harsh, wasn’t entirely reflective of our chances created or xG, further showing that there’s more to Liverpool’s story than points alone.

Our champions are under pressure, but the data shows a mixture of concerning patterns and potential for correction. The next six weeks are crucial – Slot must find solutions if we are to defend our title successfully.

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