Well, here goes nothing.
I wasn’t sure whether to start this.
Presumably, most people reading this will know me from Twitter (still not calling it X), where I post most of my favourite, generally Liverpool related, football stats.
Stats are tricky. They take time to research, work out, and then to phrase them in a way that’s easy for people to understand.
But that’s my job, and I do it every day. The stats I post to Twitter are generally ones I work out in my spare time, above and beyond my day-to-day.
Ultimately, I wasn’t sure if I’d have the time to add Substack articles on top of this. I’m still not sure if I really do. But, it’s an international break, Liverpool have just won 3-0 at Old Trafford, so what better time to start?
My aim is to write at least one of these a week to review the stats from Liverpool’s most recent game. With the Reds being in the now even bigger Champions League, that means generally they will play twice each week.
Will I have time to do stats articles on every game, two a week? Cards on the table, I’m not sure. The more subscribers I get, the more worth my while it will be.
A bit of background - I spent the best part of two years compiling an all-time historic database of Liverpool stats (which was sped up by the lockdown in 2020!). Every game, line-up, goal, player, manager. And I’m adding to this all the time.
On top of that, working for Opta and having access to their wealth of metrics, gives me a bank of stats that I am very fortunate to have.
And for that, most of my articles will be for paid subscribers only.
I will aim to do as many as I can for free, including this first one to give you a taste of the sort of stats I aim to showcase in my posts.
I hope that you enjoy the stats I post to Twitter. If you do, this will be an extension of that. Thanks for reading!
Now onto the good bit… the best stats from the 3-0 win on Sunday…
Man Utd 0-3 Liverpool
Is it crazy that we are sort of becoming accustomed to seeing this?
Sunday’s win was Liverpool’s fifth in their last nine meetings with Manchester United in all competitions. The Reds have scored 29 goals in those nine games - that’s 3.2 per game.
At Old Trafford, it’s three wins and 18 goals in Liverpool’s last six visits. 16% of Liverpool’s all-time away league wins against Man Utd have come since 2021!
Growing up, I used to hate seeing Liverpool play Man Utd. Before this run of three wins in six at Old Trafford, Liverpool had just two wins in their previous 20 against Man Utd there - albeit highly notable ones: 4-1 in 2009 and 3-0 in 2014.
Last season also saw Liverpool completely frustrated not once, not twice, but three times against Man Utd in all competitions.
Man Utd were poor in 2023-24. Liverpool finished 22 points ahead of them in the Premier League. But despite that, in three meetings in league and cup, Liverpool didn’t beat their huge rivals once.
Liverpool scored five goals (one of which was a penalty) from 87 shots (a 5.7% conversion rate) and 8.3 xG against Man Utd last season.
On Sunday, they scored three from 11 shots (27.2% conversion) and 1.8 xG. Football’s a funny game.
Two of the goals were scored in the first half by Luis Díaz, who has now scored 21% of his Premier League goals against Manchester United (4/19). Away from home, it’s 50% (3/6)!
Luis Díaz’s Favourite Premier League Opponents by Goals
Manchester United - 4 goals
Bournemouth - 3
Brighton, Chelsea, Luton, Tottenham - 2
In 101 appearances for Liverpool, it was just the second time he scored more than once in a single match - the other occasion was a brace in the 9-0 win over Bournemouth in August 2022. This one was far more important.
The Colombian now has three goals in his last two Premier League matches - as many as his previous 15 beforehand. No Liverpool player has had more combined shots and chances created than Díaz in the opening three league games of this season. Has Slot found a way to get a better output from the winger than Klopp ever did? The early signs are promising.
Both of Díaz’s strikes were assisted by Mo Salah - who now has 90 assists in his Liverpool career. Ninety. That’s an average of over 11 per season, and we’re only three games into this, his eighth with the club.
Salah, of course, then scored himself. He always does at Old Trafford. It’s 10 goals he now has there for Liverpool - only the second player to score that many at a ground not called Anfield for the club (as I Tweeted about here). And only one other Premier League player has that many at an away venue.
Salah is by far the top scoring player ever in this fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United. For Liverpool, he has six more goals against the Red Devils than anyone else.
LFC vs Man Utd Goals - All Comps
Mohamed Salah - 15
Steven Gerrard - 9
Dick Forshaw - 8
Harry Chambers - 7
Gordon Hodgson - 7
Jack Parkinson - 6
John Barnes - 6
Robbie Fowler - 6
Michael Owen - 6
Salah’s form shows absolutely no sign of tailing off. Even remotely. 66 goals and assists in his last 67 Liverpool appearances (of which he has only started 56). 52 in his last 53. 30 in his last 31. 21 in his last 21. 8 in his last 6. Whatever timeframe you pick of late, he is averaging pretty much a goal involvement per game.
Over a 352-game Liverpool career so far he is averaging 93 minutes-per-goal or assist. It’s staggering and showing no signs of let up. If this is to be his final year at the club, enjoy it. For what it’s worth, I hope it isn’t, and I hope the club do whatever they can to ensure it isn’t. But that’s for another time.
It wasn’t just a momentous day for Salah, but for new manager Arne Slot as well. He’s only the second ever Liverpool manager to win his first away game against Manchester United with the club, after George Kay in 1936. In fact, he’s the first to win his first against the Red Devils home or away with the Reds since a certain Bob Paisley in 1975. Not a lot to live up to, then.
Slot is now the first ever permanent Liverpool boss to win his first three top-flight matches in charge. He could not have asked for a better start - we all know how big the boots are that he has to fill. Tougher tests, and more gruelling schedules, to come, though.
It was also a day of milestones for Liverpool.
Andy Robertson made his 300th appearance for the Reds in all competitions - the 13th Scot to reach that total. It’s a fine list he joins - Billy Dunlop, Alex Raisbeck, Donald MacKinlay, Jimmy McDougall, Billy Liddell, Ron Yeats, Ian St John, Tommy Lawrence, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Alan Hansen, Steve Nicol. And now Robertson adds his name. Some serious legends there.
Robertson has won 194 of his 300 Liverpool games - the second-most by any player in the club’s history after 300 games.
Most Wins in First 300 LFC Apps
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 198
Andy Robertson - 194
Alan Kennedy - 188
Mo Salah - 187
Virgil van Dijk - 186 (273 apps)
Ian Rush - 185
James Milner - 182
Mark Lawrenson - 180
It was also Virgil van Dijk’s 200th Premier League appearance for Liverpool - he has won 140 of those, an outright club record in his first 200 league games.
And to complete a hat-trick of notable appearance landmarks, Diogo Jota made his 100th Premier League appearance for the club.
Jota has faced Manchester United five times now in a Liverpool shirt - he’s won all five by an aggregate score of 23-2. Even if you include his time with Wolves, Jota has appeared in 10 separate matches against the Red Devils and never lost. Some going!
Great read that. Some unbelievable stats as well. Keep these coming mate really enjoyed the read.
Great read, really like the way the stats come through in the whole way through also enjoy the comparison to all the players I grew up watching really interesting in the 300 game mark how five out of the eight of coming Jurgen’s time. I love the stats and I love the way your whole article reads and relates to stats throughout the whole thing. Keep up the great work mate.