Liverpool’s Statistical Superiority Means Nothing Without Structure

The stats show dominance, but the scoreline says otherwise. Liverpool need tactical clarity.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United at Anfield. If you looked at the numbers without seeing the score, you would think Liverpool cruised it. More shots, more possession, better xG, more territory, and more passes completed. But they didn’t cruise anything. They lost, and in doing so, exposed some tactical and structural flaws that are becoming difficult to ignore.

This was not just a frustrating result. It was a performance that invites questions, especially as the club prepares for the next phase of the season with a European clash against Eintracht Frankfurt and a Premier League visit to Brentford. Liverpool are still in the fight, but only if they learn fast.

Patterns of dominance, but no control

Liverpool did everything but win. The underlying metrics tell the story.

Despite this, the Reds were a goal down inside two minutes. That early setback disrupted the plan and changed the emotional tone of the match. United sat deeper, became harder to break down, and Liverpool found themselves running into traffic rather than playing through it.

The data shows Liverpool had more than enough chances to take control. They just didn’t convert, and more worryingly, they did not adjust quickly enough to change the flow of the game.