Liverpool’s season has clearly been rough, but new data shows the situation may be even worse than anyone expected.
Surprisingly, recent statistics reveal that Arne Slot’s men have recorded the second-worst defensive record across Europe’s top five leagues since May. As seen in the table below, only Wolves, who are battling relegation, have conceded more goals than Liverpool in all competitions over the last six months. This proves the defensive issues didn’t suddenly appear this season—they’ve been brewing for a while.
What makes this even more shocking is the quality in Liverpool’s defence: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and two elite goalkeepers in Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili. The numbers strongly suggest that coaching and tactical setup under Slot may be a major part of the problem.
So how serious is this for Liverpool? It’s definitely worrying for a club of this size, but Liam Togher of Empire of the Kop told CaughtOffside that the statistics don’t tell the full story.
According to Togher, the data is “slightly misleading” because 25% of the goals came in the final four matches of last season, after Liverpool had already secured the Premier League title—naturally causing a drop in intensity.
Still, conceding 27 goals in 18 matches this season (1.5 per game) is nowhere near acceptable for the reigning champions. The defensive strength they showed for most of 2024/25 has completely disappeared. Togher points to several factors: basic individual errors, lack of cohesion after summer defensive changes, weaker midfield protection when Gravenberch or Mac Allister were out, and Alisson’s injury removing his calming presence—even though Mamardashvili hasn’t been poor.
So, Liverpool fans—should this be a major concern, or is it just a temporary slump that can be corrected? Share your views below!
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