Liverpool’s best league performance in months laid bare by the metrics
xG, territory and chance quality show why this was Liverpool’s most convincing league display of the season
Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Newcastle United felt significant not just because of the scoreline, but because of what it represented. This was a fixture that has often carried a sense of menace for Liverpool in recent seasons, a meeting defined by bruising physicality, broken rhythm and uncomfortable moments. Newcastle have made a habit of dragging Liverpool into contests played on the edge, sometimes beyond it, as underlined once again by Anthony Gordon’s ugly sliding tackle on Alisson Becker.
This time, though, Liverpool were able to absorb the early chaos and then impose control. The statistical picture tells a clear story. Liverpool generated over 2.0 expected goals while conceding less than 0.5, a level of dominance that recalls last season’s best performances. The Reds outshot Newcastle comfortably, registered far more shots on target, created significantly more shots from inside the box, recorded almost twice as many high recoveries and doubled Newcastle’s tally of deep completed passes. It was dominance not just in territory, but in quality.
